Urban Family (PRD) － Summer 2019

SUMMER | 2019

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Ahead

Plus: The Ultimate 2019 Summer School Guide, Family Getaways and more

城市家 Urban Family Chief Editor Lena Gidwani 李娜 Copy Editor Matthew Bossons 马特 Designers Felix Chen 陈引全 Cilla Yang 杨美婷 Contributors: Students from various schools, Paul Gotera, Julie Lindsay, Benjamin James Simpson, Claire Marie Williams, Anthony d'Conde, Natalie Foxwell

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International School of Nanshan Shenzhen

FIRST CONTINUUM IB WORLD SCHOOL IN SHENZHEN, CHINA

Come create with us. is to courageously try something new while valuing the lessons learned along the way.

At ISNS

www.isnsz.com

admissions@isnsz.com

https://isns.openapply.cn

+86-2666-1000

CONTENTS Urban Blurbs

06

LIFE & WELLBEING 08

Urbanite Events in the PRD

13

Navigating College Visits

14

LN Garden Hotel, Nansha Guangzhou

17

Children in Sports

18

Thinking Outside the Box

COVER STORY 22

Full STEAM Ahead

24

Cover Story: Full STEAM Ahead

EDUCATION 38

2019 Summer School Guide

44

From The Page to The Screen

46

Art Attack

FOOD & FUN

Family Getaways: Sanya

48 52

Our Family Favorites

55

The Wizard of Oz Comes to Guangzhou

38

The Ultimate 2019 Summer School Guide

EVENTS 58

Guangzhou Events

62

Shenzhen Events

THIS MONTH'S COVER has been designed by Felix Chen.

随音像制品发行

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48

Family Getaways: Sanya

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reviously referred to as STEM, STEAM stands for ‘Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.’ An acronym describing a method of educational focus, STEAM is blowing up in schools around us today. Coined by the Rhode Island

School of Design, this transdisciplinary platform keeps up with the ever-changing times by fostering skills like creativity, critical thinking, creative decision-making and problemsolving.

Here in our thriving region, much goes on in the world of STEAM, from robotics competitions to art installations. Shenzhen, in particular, has been identified as a global hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and hi-tech manufacturing. With so much happening in the region, we felt that a cover story dedicated to STEAM was in order. So, here we are, presenting our first-ever STEAM issue, dedicated to those who believe that the future is all about STEAM. We managed to snag interviews with a few creative minds and you can read more about them from p18 onwards. In our cover story (p24) , dive into everything from maker faires to virtual reality.

If you are choosing to spend the summer here in the PRD, you might want to consider sending your children to a summer camp. Turn to p38 for this year's ultimate summer school guide. Looking for a family-friendly getaway? In this exciting issue, we feature two stunning destinations: Nansha in Guangzhou (p14) and Sanya on Hainan Island (p48). We truly hope you enjoy reading this issue. Till next time, enjoy the upcoming holidays!

Lena Gidwani

Stay in touch with UF.

Go on, scan us now!

Editor-in-Chief, Urban Family

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URBAN BLURBS Mandarin Mastery Learn the Basics Before you Hit the Town!

Engineering 工程学 gōngchéng xué Creativity 创造力 chuàngzàolì

Man Leaves 2-Year-Old in Shop as Collateral for Bill in South China

Arts 艺术 yìshù Culture 文化 wénhuà

'Avengers' Rakes in Over ¥523 Million in First 24 hours in China

Mathematics 数学 shùxué Technology 科技 kējì Science 科学 kēxué Robots 机器人 jīqìrén Virtual Reality 虚拟现实 xūn xiànshí

Avengers: Endgame brought in more than RMB523 million in the first 24 hours following its Chinese debut. According to the HAO BU HAO Bank of China International, cited by Xinhua, the finale’s estimated box office revenue is expected to reach over RMB3.5 billion on the Chinese mainland. If that total is met, it would nearly exceed the combined box office revenue from the two prior Avengers movies, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War.

A man in Shunde, Foshan left his 2-year-old daughter at a noodle shop as collateral after he was short on his bill. How much did he owe? RMB1. The father racked up a whopping RMB6 bill, but had only brought RMB5, so he ended up leaving his daughter alone at a noodle shop at night while he went to retrieve more cash. Surveillance footage shows the father leaving the shop followed by his young daughter. When the man notices his child is following him, he nudges her back into the shop and leaves. According to local media reports, the event took place sometime in early April, and by the time the man returned with the money, around two hours later, the shop owner had already called the police. The two were eventually reunited, while police reprimanded the father for his lackluster decision-making skills.

Brand New RMB Banknotes Set to Release This Year The People’s Bank of China has announced that it will soon release the 2019 edition of the fifth set of renminbi banknotes.

While this edition is far more tame than the psychedelic RMB50 note that was released late last year to honor the 70th anniversary of the renminbi, the crisp new bills will feature more advanced anti-counterfeit technology and brighter color tones. These changes will be applied to all renminbi banknotes, except for the RMB100 and RMB5 bills.

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Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport Set to Build 3rd Runway It was announced on Tuesday, April 16 that Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport has been given approval by the National Development and Reform Commission to build a third runway, in order to help service an estimated 80 million people annually by 2030. The new runway, expected to service an extra 20 million passengers annually, will be 3,600 meters long and 60 meters wide and will cost RMB9.35 billion. The project fits into an overarching plan to further expand transport and infrastructure links in the South of China, in line with the Greater Bay Area Plan.

According to South China Morning Post, Hong Kong International Airport is also planning to add a third runway as part of a HKD144 billion expansion. That runway is expected to be finished at the end of 2024. Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport is currently the second largest airport in Guangdong, after Guangzhou’s Baiyun Airport. According to aviation insight website Flight Global, Bao’an International Airport handled 49.3 million passengers in 2018, an 8.2% increase from the previous year.

Hukou Rules to be Eased in Small Cities Around China In a push to increase waning urbanization around China, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced in April that rules surrounding household registration, referred to as hukou, in second- and third-tier cities in China will be eased in a move set to benefit scores of migrant workers.

Restrictions on household registration in cities with a population of 1-3 million people will be scrapped, while rules in cities with a population of 3-5 million people will be relaxed, with restrictions on the settlement of key groups abolished. The notice also encourages large megacities to adjust and improve their settlement policy. Reform in social coverage will revolve around providing basic public services for residents under the household registration system, in areas such as education, medical insurance, pension insurance, vocational skills training, childcare services and more.

Stores to Open Their Bathrooms to Public in Guangzhou

Shanghai Ranked China's Most Attractive for Expats

The City Management Bureau of Tianhe district announced in April that there will be ‘society’ restrooms opening on a total of 21 streets in the district. Instead of building entirely new facilities, however, the bureau will be selecting two privately owned bathrooms on each of the 21 streets. They will include washrooms located inside restaurants, cafes, banks and other stores that face the main street. Landlords who agree to make their restrooms available to the public will receive a subsidy of up to RMB3,000 (these subsidies will go into effect at the end of April). Once opened, these public toilets will be labeled with a sign that says “OTG” (Opening Toilets of Guangzhou).

You may not have needed a survey to confirm this, but Shanghai has yet again been named China’s most attractive city for expats.

On April 14, ‘Amazing China – the Most Attractive Chinese Cities for Expats 2018’ unveiled its results in Shenzhen at the Conference on International Exchange of Professionals. Shanghai retained the top position for the sixth consecutive year, followed by Beijing, Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Xi’an and Wuhan, according to China Daily. The survey focused on areas such as policies for foreign professionals, working environment and living environment, among other aspects of expat life in China. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan were not included in the voting process for this survey. The survey was conducted by International Talents magazine.

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URBANITE EVENTS CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE ORIENTAL REPUBLIC OF URUGUAY IN GUANGZHOU CELEBRATES TANNAT WINE WEEK (Supported by

FIRST BRAZILIAN CARNIVAL IN SHENZHEN, HOSTED BY ACTIVNA. COM (Supported by

)

)

On April 9, the Tannat Wine Week Celebration was inaugurated in Guangzhou, with a wine tasting at the Consulate General of Uruguay in Tianhe District. This event took place all over the world, introducing the Uruguayan signature red wine variety Tannat. During that week, similar wine tastings were held in Sao Paulo (Brazil), Brasilia (Brazil), Stockholm (Sweden), Washington (US), New York (US), Den Hag (Netherlands), London (UK), Asunciรณn (Paraguay) and Beijing.

ActivnA.com, a platform that organizes cross-cultural events for communities, organized the first Brazilian Carnival in Shenzhen. A parade with samba dancers and a lion dance performance was on display, creating a fusion of Brazilian and Chinese cultures. Prior to the friendly match between Chinese and Brazilian footballers, a five-side football match was also held between children from six football academies. A market with authentic Brazilian cuisine and souvenirs was another highlight, followed by an exciting samba party.

INTERCHAMBER SHENZHEN NETWORKING EVENT

(Supported by

)

On Thursday, April 25, the German, Spanish, Australian, British, French, Benelux, Swiss and Italian Chambers of Commerce organized an Interchamber Shenzhen Networking event in the luxurious InterContinental Hotel. More than 150 participants coming from the eight chambers met each other to share resources, contacts and ideas. The event featured prize raffles, unlimited snacks, soft drinks, wine and beer.

Everybody, including the eight chambers and event sponsors, had a wonderful time.

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Advertorial

Emphasizing Interdisciplinary Learning and Mastery Interview with the Leadership Team at Avenues: The World School in Shenzhen

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ith an emphasis on in-depth interdisciplinary learning and mastery, Avenues Shenzhen will open its doors in September 2019. The vision is clear: establish one school with many campuses that are intentionally connected and located in key global cities. Urban Family spoke to Head of School Andy Torris, and Division Head Angela Xu, to learn more about this new school.

UF: What does the establishment of multiple campuses mean for students enrolled at Avenues? What opportunities and experiences can students enjoy?

Andy: This is something that I’m really excited about as head of school of Avenues Shenzhen.

Avenues has a global admissions policy, which means that students admitted to any of our campuses (New York, São Paulo or Shenzhen) are automatically admitted to all our campuses. So, for example, if a family with a child attending Avenues Shenzhen had reason (or desire!) to move to New York for a spell, their child could enroll at Avenues New York and continue getting the same state-of-the-art education.

Angela: Having multiple campuses also opens up exciting possibilities for studying abroad and international exchanges. For example, Avenues New York students are about to come back to Shenzhen for the second Avenues Mastery Academy, which will be held at our Learning Innovation Center, and this time, students from our São Paulo campus will be joining them. Together with a group of local Shenzhen students, they will work on a project related to innovation and making and take advantage of the amazing technology here.

UF: Language learning is a key component of the Avenues mission. How does the Avenues Immersion Program help students with the acquisition of second language?

Angela: At every Avenues campus, learning a second language is more than an academic pursuit, it is a daily practice that transforms the way students see and think about the world. In Shenzhen, we don't teach Chinese or English, we teach in Chinese or English.

Our youngest learners in Small World are learning in Chinese and English from the first day of school. Then, from nursery onwards, students spend 50% of their time learning in English and 50% learning in Chinese: one day in English, one day in Chinese and so on. That means that they are using their second language to study almost all of their academic content and absorbing vocabulary as they go. We take immersion so seriously that we design our campuses to support the program, with paired classrooms that students move between on a daily basis. In other words, they speak Chinese in one classroom and English in the other. Studies consistently demonstrate that immersion students achieve as well as – or generally, better than – their non-immersion peers on standardized measures of verbal and mathematical skills. Learning a second language is a rigorous workout for the brain at any age and when you start with immersion at the age of 2, it's a life-changing workout which comes naturally.

UF: What facilities can parents expect at the Avenues Shenzhen campus? Why did Avenues choose Nanshan University Town?

Andy: Avenues Shenzhen will be located in the leafy University Town neighborhood of

Nanshan District. The incorporation of nature is a key feature of our Shenzhen campus design. I’m excited about the expansive courtyard, with its tree-lined paths, water features and a parent cafe overlooking one of many outdoor play areas on campus. Other highlights include a glasswalled ‘tree house’ library built around a beautiful banyan tree, elevated walkways flanked with greenery and indoor and outdoor living walls. There will be an open-air science terrace and roof top farm, where children can engage hands-on with nature.

The interiors of our Shenzhen locations, particularly our Shenzhen campus and Learning Innovation Center, have been custom-designed to meet the requirements of the Avenues unique early childhood curriculum, which emphasizes language immersion, learning through play and collaboration. To support our language immersion program, classrooms are paired (one English, one Chinese) and connected by bathrooms. It’s going to be a best-in-class early childhood facility where our faculty can thrive in their mission to nurture and inspire their students.

UF: If you had to give a piece of advice to parents interested in Avenues Shenzhen, what would it be?

Andy: Come and meet us at the Learning Innovation Center! We’re really proud of our beautiful new building and we love to meet Shenzhen families. We really urge you to get in touch and come and have a cup of coffee with us, or attend one of our many events.

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Advertorial

Explore the Future of Artful Education with Poly Hele

P

oly Hele Education is a national education brand that has come to brighter light in recent years as part of Poly Development's “Real Estate Biosphere.”

In just three years, Poly Hele Education has seized the opportunity to satisfy parents’ need for quality education by building a national education brand that covers day care, early years institutions and kindergartens, an international school for students in Grade 1-12, arts centers, summer camps and continuing education for adults.

The brand is a rising star in the national educational market and has become an important pillar of Poly's arts and education culture. Poly Hele Education builds upon cutting-edge international educational concepts and systems, taking on the responsibility of children’s core characterbuilding and creative artistic spirit. The company aims to promote internationalmindedness by designing an cohesive system of arts education that creatively incorporates the traditional model of education.

Our Mission: Enlightening and Nourishing our Students for a Better Tomorrow Our teachers work sensibly, implementing our philosophy to build confident citizens.

We give children a fun and comfortable environment to study and grow, guiding them towards becoming future artists, travelers or scientists with artistic understanding, emotional intelligence, confidence, happiness and aspirations.

Our Model of Education: Cultivating Arts to Promote Peace We use arts to nurture morality, selfconfidence, teach language, encourage good etiquette, build good temperament and inspire dreams. The method helps children to open the gates of creativity to let them explore the universe and its many wonders.

Our system combines arts in all forms to encourage students to harness the power of their senses, minds and bodies, to contribute and make a lifelong impact in society.

Our Attitude Towards Education: Natural Development and Growth Just like each flower is unique, every child has a unique personality. We respect children’s natural growth and design our lessons to strengthen core intelligences such as logic and spatial development. As a full-time facility that operates from 8am to 8pm, we

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truly understand how to cater to the needs of all our children and parents.

A Balanced Education for All Students Our education system focuses on arts, science, engineering, language and sports, so as to provide balance. The curriculum fosters cooperation and friendly competition. It is aimed at balancing children’s physical, intellectual and spiritual growth so as to synchronise our culture with the rest of the world. After years of strategic deployment and efficient implementation, Poly Hele Education is now a one-stop integrated educational platform that is completely focused on the enlightenment and nurturing of artistic education for children aged 0-18.

Future Projects and Introduction of Poly Hele's China International Chopin Arts Festival and Competition (CICAFC) In the summer of 2019, Poly Hele Education will spearhead arts development by planning, hosting and promoting international music, art and cultural projects that will change the face of arts education in South China.

One of our most awaited events is the grand opening of the first CICAFC this coming June. With its motto of “Arts Changes Lives,” CICAFC and the International Federation of Chopin Societies (IFCS) will join forces to host and promote one of the world’s top music festivals in South China. Poly Hele will also cooperate with IFCS in Austria to host the 35th Chopin Festival and the first Teen European Music Tour and Summer Camp. Simultaneously, in multiple cities across China, there will be splendid activities like master classes, festival performances, CICAFC tours, international forums and exchanges from IFCS and The Juilliard School. These events will be held at the Poly Hele International Arts Centers and other halls around the country. With established connections between national and international partners, students can learn from top masters from around the world.

Participation at 2019 Guangzhou Cultural Industry Fair The Guangzhou Cultural Industry Fair has become a draw card for cultural industries in South East Asia. Their goal is to innovate and boost cultural development in South China.

In 2019, Poly Hele Education will participate in the fair, aiming to promote arts and cultural exchanges in the Greater Bay Area, as well as seek opportunities for regular cooperation and communication.

Grand Opening of the New Campus of Poly Hele International Arts Center The new Poly Hele International Arts Center (PIA) campus is located at Poly Grand Mansion (Tianyue). This premium location in the heart of the Pearl River spans a massive 1,800 square meters. The center blends traditional Chinese and international programs, aiming to cultivate well-rounded students that are nationally and internationally-minded. The campus aims to be the top progressive arts education base in South China. We are joining forces with world-class institutions like The Juilliard School and several others, so we can build a Hele Stars International Arts Association.

Day Care and Early Education Services Our high-quality day care center will cater to young children aged 0-3, and includes fullday care, half-day care and hourly care.

Professionally trained teachers and a licensed doctor on campus will ensure that worldclass standards are met. Students, parents and teachers will work together in this premium environment to boosts development of social skills, emotional intelligence, cognitive skills, creativity, physical strength and individuality, to ensure all our students are happy, confident and ready for formal schooling.

Welcome to Poly Hele Education, for a Better Future Poly Hele welcomes you to join the Hele community and engage in our world-leading education system and programs. We aim to shape the world and encourage you to be a part of this transformational educational journey.

Polyhele International Arts Center - "Poly Tianyue" Pazhoucun Parking Lot North, Guangzhou

Advertorial

Chopin’s Inspiration for an Ethereal Childhood Chopin International Arts Festival and Competition Comes to China

By Anthony d’Conde, Executive Director and Head Master at Poly Hele Education

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he music of Chopin still rings in my mind, impacting me today just like it did when I was 8-years-old. As a child, I loved listening to music on my Walkman. I remember strolling around with it, listening to beautiful melodies. Back then, having one was a rarity and no one in my elementary school had that luxury.

It was a fine summer day in the '80s and I vividly remember listening to Chopin on my Walkman as I made my way to my performing arts school. This was a place that I frequented often, as it was here that I started my musical training a few years before. As I entered through the majestic glass doors into the lobby, I was suddenly distracted by the security guard, signaling me to come to the front desk. I lifted the right headphone off my ear as he started to ask me what I was listening to. I said: “It’s Chopin, the most beautiful music.” He laughed. I then took the earphones off and placed them on his ears. His eyes opened wide with shock as he listened till the end of Piano concerto No. 1, Romance slow 2nd movement. To me, this composition was and still is now one of the most beautiful compositions ever written for piano and orchestra. The music was clearly very touching to my humble friend as well. It was very obvious through the change of his facial expressions that it was as if he had found a lost key to a door sealed for many years.

When the music faded away at the end of the movement, he smiled with a sense of total awe, admiration and respect towards the music he had just heard, as I gently took back the headphones. “The most beautiful music indeed,” he said with honest and humbled eyes. I knew for certain that something very special had occurred just then. After my music classes that evening, I went back home and made a copy of the cassette tape for my friend. Back then, giving somebody a recorded piece of music was truly appreciated and was seen as a gesture of friendship. Also, great classical recordings very hard to find and I knew that he would love it. The next day, when I presented the cassette of Chopin's music to my friend, his tears almost blossomed. From that day on, I knew that teaching was my true calling.

It took me several years to understand why Chopin’s music was so special to me and to others who experienced it. The true essence of Chopin’s compositional style artistically unites poetry, art, song and dance into the sound of a piano. Chopin himself was a flowing vessel for the universal language of sound which embodied a total fusion of all art forms. His music was my best friend and accompanied me through the ups and downs from elementary school all the way to university, when I was accepted to The Juilliard School in New York City.

I moved to China in 2001 right after graduation. At the time, it was still very rare to see Chopin’s music being programed at concerts in south China. Although ever since, we have seen a huge leap in the development of arts education and international culture around China, and Chopin has been at the forefront of this international cultural development in past years. Last year, when I heard that Dr. Kanitzer, President of the International Federation of Chopin Societies (IFCS) was visiting Guangzhou as an Ambassador for the Arts for Poly Hele and would visit the new and extremely impressive Poly Skyline Plaza towers, I was not going to waste the opportunity. I wanted to convince him to join our efforts to further develop arts education and international culture in South China. Having more cooperation with the IFCS would ensure and promote Chopin’s legacy and popularity in China, thus influencing the development of local arts.

This summer, the IFCS, Poly Hele Education, Poly Development and Hele China Charity Program are joining forces to bring South China the first-ever Chopin International Arts Festival and Competition.

Wuhan and Guangzhou, where the main Poly Hele Education headquarters are, will host gala festivals. The competition, however, will be national, spanning across several cities around China. The deadline for registering is June 1 and all students are welcome to participate and register for free on our website at www.polyhele.com. This competition will give students from all countries, ethnic minorities and levels of

society, a great opportunity to perform with and learn from great masters from around the world. Students may also get the chance to go to Europe and be part of the Chopin Festival in Austria this August.

Chopin’s home in South China is undoubtedly at Poly Grand Mansion in Pazhou, where the Poly Hele International Arts Center (PIA) is located. This new Grand Mansion Arts Center is committed to develop ing education, arts and culture to the highest level in our local communities. Chopin's music will be a integral part of Poly Hele's arts programs, starting from early education to adult education programs. With Chopin as one of our ethereal arts ambassadors, we look forward to building meaningful and strong connections with our communities and the rest of the world through music and culture.

Chopin International Arts Festival and Competition is open to all students across China. Deadline for registration is June 1, 2019. Check www. polyhele.com and apply now!

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Advertorial

LN Garden Hotel, Nansha Guangzhou

A Family-Friendly Experience Awaits You in Nansha

M

any hotels describe themselves as family-friendly, but often this is simply lip service. LN Garden Hotel, Nansha Guangzhou however, is built with families in mind, providing a one-stop destination for all things sophisticated, relaxed and child-safe. Located just over an hour away from downtown Guangzhou and downtown Shenzhen, the hotel is easily accessible, making it a convenient getaway when you need to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. This massive resort embodies the true spirit of natural harmony by taking advantage of the stunning panoramic viewssurrounding the hotel, giving families a sense of uncompromised luxury.

with an extra bathroom, plenty of storage space, a cozy tent for those essential reading moments and low beds for safety. Essentials that you might not have been able to squeeze in the suitcase – amenities, bathrobes, plastic cups – are all available for little ones.

Calling all UF readers! Mention this story when making a reservation or bring a copy when checking in, and you will receive two complimentary welcome drinks.

Valid from May 20-Aug 31, 2019.

Play

Stay Each of the 365 guestrooms boast 180-degree views and spacious balconies. Rooms range from studios to large suites, and families with up to three children will love the welldecorated and gorgeous family suite. The master room comes with a large oval bath and jacuzzi, a dressing area, a Nespresso coffee machine, a huge television screen and patio furniture for you to sink in and admire the scenery whilst breathing in the oxygenrich fresh air. Designed to be a home away from home, there is a separate room for kids,

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Yoyo Kids' Kingdom is a dedicated play space for little ones. Covering 1,200 square meters, it features a two-lane bowling alley, sand and soft play, state-of-the-art climbing frames and a ball pit to rival all others. No-one’s getting left out of the fun during this family holiday though, as you can safely leave the kids in the care of trained staff while you head out to play a game of billiards, read a book or indulge in some board games.

Want to swim? You got it! The outdoor pool features a spectacular infinity edge that oversees the lake, and you can swim into an indoor pool arena that is perfect for when the weather decides to play up. A quick stroll around of the hotel and you’ll find tennis courts, serene walking trails, a 36-hole golf course, a trackless train and peddle bikes. The diverse landscapes ranging from mountains, lakes, fields and wetlands, to a pristine ocean located just a short bike ride away, is also great for exploration.

Service at the hotel is of a high quality too, and the hotel's friendly staff are always on hand to ensure that you have everything you need for a comfortable stay.

Eat Even meal times have families in mind.

Featuring authentic culinary and creative dining experiences across six dining venues, you can enjoy mouthwatering dishes to suit all ages. Peach Blossom Restaurant features authentic Nansha specialities such as fresh river prawns and yellow croaker, both of which live up to expectations. The international buffet at Café Flora has an extensive selection of foods from around the world. Don’t forget to make time for breakfast here, which features farm fresh eggs, plenty of baked goods, cold cuts, noodles in broth and much more. Grill Restaurant features tender steaks cooked to perfection and more, and the stylish Lobby Lounge has an immensely good afternoon tea that the kids will simply adore.

LN Garden Hotel is located at No.1 Da Jiao Er Road, Nansha Coastal Park, Nansha District, Guangzhou For reservations, call 020-3210 8888 or check www.lnhotels/GDHNS.

LIFE & WELLBEING

Navigating College Visits

Do’s and Don’ts When Attending a College Fair or Visit

By Julie Lindsay, High School Counselor at the American International School of Guangzhou

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any schools in the region often host college fairs and visits from a variety of post-secondary institutions from countries where students have aspirations to study. Representatives travel from the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong and Korea to showcase what their schools have to offer. While we try to impress the importance of these sessions upon our students, we also find that they are sometimes reluctant to sign up for these meetings. It is important to understand that teenagers have limited experience engaging in conversations with adults and can feel intimidated about what kinds of questions to ask. To help make these meetings more valuable and less awkward, high school counselors should talk with students in advisory sessions about ways to make these encounters productive. As a high school counselor, I also send students and parents the following list of tips for attending a college fair or visit:

Do: • Think about what's important to you, such as size, cost, location, major, climate, cocurriculars, opportunities to have a part time job on campus and so on. Focus on getting those questions answered or expanded upon if you have already looked at some information on an institution’s website.

• Make sure to read the table banner before you speak. Usually, the location and type of institution (university, college or state university) is prominently displayed so you won’t look silly asking the obvious.

• Take out your calculator! Is the total cost for a year at an institution okay for your family's budget?

• Pay attention: even if you figure out quickly that this may not be a school that you’re interested in, stay engaged and respectful.

Ideally, you should be approaching schools that spark your interest and asking questions that are important to your search process.

•Ask for the college representative to evaluate your chances based upon the quantitative information you’ll be submitting to colleges. Most schools won’t be able to answer this question because they are not just looking at your scores and grades. It's a holistic application process.

• Ask about co-op or paid internship programs. They provide incredible work experience and connections with future employers (as well as a little extra cash).

• Be polite, kind, respectful and your fabulous self with the college reps. Remember, you are often talking with the person that will read and help to assess your application if you apply there.

• Ask about credit for the courses your have taken and what kind of scholarship or funding might be available for a student like you.

• Ask about how to arrange a campus visit if you are planning to go there. Many representatives will stay in contact with you and help with your visit.

• Go to college websites and take a look at last year’s admitted student profiles. Are you a match?

Don't:

• Ask exactly how much scholarship or financial aid you might get from a school. It is really smart to ask about what is available generally to a student like you. However, don't expect that representatives can make an exact determination about such funding on the spot.

• Let your parents make all the decisions. If you are attending a college fair, use this as an opportunity to drive your own college search process.

• Be negative or critical of anyone's institution or programs. If you are not interested in the school, don't visit the table.

• Base your decisions only on what your friends are doing. There's only one you and you need to be open to all possibilities and opportunities in this life.

• Tell yourself you are going to Harvard or Stanford so you don't need to get to know any other schools that might be a great fit for you. The reality of getting into such schools tells us that you need to create a balanced list of college that has Reach, Likely and Probably schools on it.

Parents are always welcome to college visits and fairs, but I recommend that it is the students that are showing up and asking the questions. It's my hope that this list of tips initiates some rich family conversations about student potential and preparation for a future of successful applications.

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Children in Sports Are We Pressuring Them Too Much?

By Paul Gotera, Karate Coach in Guangzhou

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arents, do you encourage your children to engage in sports? This is something you may want to consider doing, as sports are vital to holistic development and fosters physical, social and emotional health. Sports help children to establish a connection with their minds while using their bodies. It also helps with adapting to new environments, making friends and gaining skills like sportsmanship and perseverance. Life experiences that are related to failure and success in the world of sports also have a substantial impact on the growth of emotional intelligence, self-motivation, adaptability and stress management. Many parents are aware of these benefits and can often be seen transporting their children from one activity to another, cheering from the sidelines. However, concerns do tend to arise when parents start to pressure their children, making them feel that the only option is winning. Is pressuring a child to always win good for them in the long run?

What is the healthy and appropriate amount of physical (or mental) pressure a child can handle and when does it become too much?

Parents do not always know the answers to those questions. This is where coaches can come in.

Coaches play a very important role in the life of a child engaged in sports. Having a trained coach in a child’s life ensures direct assessment of their physical and psychological growth. Coaches usually give parents accurate feedback, as they understand that is part of their role. They also pay plenty of attention to the importance of psychology, pedagogy and the connection between body and mind, as they believe that this is the key to successful development of a child in sports. However, this is one aspect that is often overlooked by parents. Luckily, good coaches understand this point, making them very useful to have as allies when it comes to raising children in sports.

As a karate coach and winner of over 20 gold medals at several national competitions, I have seen many children lose their passion and enthusiam for sports because it was

transformed into a burden. To them, failing wasn’t an option, resulting in a complete lack of interest in sports. I learnt a great deal from that experience. Now, in all my classes, I encourage parents and children to not be driven by hard metal prizes or paper certificates. Pressuring children to the point where performance gets affected is not going to help them succeed at all and can result in depression. Experts in the field of sports psychology are also quite clear with their thoughts on this topic. They believe that yes, pressure is good but the line is thin when we talk about children, as we could be exploding a rough diamond or compromising a future.

Children certainly want to have a passion and they love being pushed into achieving things

they didn’t believe they could do at first.

However, they also need to know that achievement does not mean bringing home a medal or trophy every single time. It can also be a learning experience that teaches them important life skills such as sportsmanship and teamwork. Even though they may not have achieved recognition, they have gained other skills that will make them a better person. This is what truly counts in the long run. A good coach will always make this point clear to parents and children.

As parents, you can help your children by supporting and encouraging them to enjoy the varied benefits and joys that come with playing sports. By being passionate about sports, achievement will come naturally.

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LIFE & WELLBEING

Thinking Outside The Box Creative Minds in the PRD

By Lena Gidwani

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hat is creativity and why do some people find it so easy to come up with new and useful ideas, such as an innovative design, a painting, a product or piece of music that transcends language?

Urban Family interviewed five creative people around the PRD who are employed in various

STEAM fields, to learn more what creativity means to them and how they engage their audiences and gain inspiration. Enjoy reading.

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Follow The Music

Marc Lussier on Nurturing the Next Generation of DJs

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ave you ever wanted to create music that you hear in your head?

Making music is a great way to express emotions and those learning music often spend years honing their skills. But what if instruments aren’t your cup of tea?

Well, move over and make way for the invincible mixer. Used by DJs, mixers are key to music manipulation (mixing), changing the sound and feel of a song or tune. DJs work behind the decks and have creative skills that most people admire: they know how to entertain! Engaging with an audience is key, and that is what makes DJ’ing such a creative and complex art. Meet W Guangzhou music curator Marc Lussier, who’s on a mission to spread his creativity and teach folks here in the region the art of mixing. Having taught several children and young adults already, Marc believes that one can learn how to DJ at any age and that all that they need is passion and perseverance. Keen to learn more, Urban Family made our way to the Sound Masters music studio at the W Guangzhou to see how Marc is nurturing the next generation of DJs. UF: DJ Marc, you have been working in the field of music for over 20 years, starting out as a DJ in Canada. What motivated you to get involved in the creative music scene and choose this path?

I have always loved playing music and when I saw that I could make a good living doing it, I decided that I had to give it a go. I thought to myself: what is better than playing music and making people dance for a career? The

answer was clear and so I decided to pursue my dreams, and I have not looked back since.

UF: As a child, did you receive any training in music?

Yes, although much of it has also come naturally. I have been a performer in many different shows since the age of six. All of my creative shows and performances always had music. This has allowed me to clearly see what kind of music goes with a situation or setting, whether it be a live show, staged performance or even a play or movie.

UF: Did you collaborate with others initially, or were you learning what you liked on your own and developing your own style as you went along?

A bit of both, to be honest. Now, I have a great production team and we are working on my many DJ aliases and characters, building up original releases as we go along. Each ‘character’ that I play has a different sound and feel. It is taking a bit of time but the journey has been a fabulous experience and I am truly enjoying the process.

DJ’ing. Armin was my biggest influence. We met in Canada when I opened for him during one of his tours. The next year, he started his ‘Armin Only’ tour and it showed me that you can create a full show around just one DJ. It changed my life and the rest, as they say, is history.

UF: You have taught several young students recently. What advice might you have for others expanding their opportunities in music/DJ’ing?

Find a music or DJ school that understands that progress is learnt from scratch, pun intended! When you do, sign up and just soak it all in. I wish I had a school like mine when I was younger. But these days, everything is right here in front of us. We just have to jump at the opportunity and go for it.

SoundMasters classes are held at the W Guangzhou and is open to everyone aged 7 and above. You can add me on WeChat (WSoundMasters) to learn more. A final word of advice: never give up on your dreams whatever they are. Follow the music, wherever it takes you!

UF: What are some artists that influenced you early on and into the present? Why do you find them inspirational?

Carl Cox, James Zabiela and Armin van Burren, amongst many others. These creative legends have influenced me in so many different ways, seeing how to work a groove and understanding the technical side of

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LIFE & WELLBEING

Inspired by Creativity

Manuel Ortiz Delgado on Artistic Perspective

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eet Manuel Ortiz Delgado, designer, artist and creator. Armed with a master’s in visual communication and fine arts, Manuel – who prefers to be called Manolo – likes to define himself as someone who doesn't like to fit in. Unique in every way, with a curious nature and an opinion about everything, Manolo says that he is interested in activities that allows for self-expression and creativity. Currently, he currently teaches art to children and also works as a freelance designer for notable food and beverage providers and hotels around Guangzhou. Urban Family sat with Manolo to learn more about what inspires him.

UF: What is art - in your own words?

I would say art is everything created in order to express a feeling or emotion, intentionally or not.

UF: Many parents often have a distorted impression of art and think that artists cannot make money. What do you think?

Artists can indeed make money. Art has evolved in the last century or so, and individuality is more important to society these days. Art is a great tool to stand out of the crowd and show your uniqueness, either as a creative force or as someone who appreciates the work of an artist and the emotions behind their pieces.

UF: How important is perspective in art?

Perspective is everything. Art is extremely subjective; what brings out a certain emotion or feeling in a person might bring out the complete opposite in someone else. We are the result of our experiences and our interpretation and perception of a work of art varies depending on that.

UF: Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author and science communicator, claimed that we measure the success of a civilization by how well they treat their creative people. Is the world evolving towards mainstream acceptance of art as a necessity, particularly in schools, or do we still have to work on that?

I might be going against everyone with this one, but I think that creative people embrace the struggle to find their place in society, or at least I did. I had a hard time finding a place I felt comfortable in. At the end, I discovered that

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there wasn't a place, so I created it for myself.

For example, I couldn't find clothes that let me express my personal style, so I made them myself. I guess that happens to plenty of people in our industry. We are appreciated when we start to grasp and enjoy the many gifts that we have and stop trying to fit into a box. Creative people develop their creativity naturally and it can be enhanced. However, most of the time, being an artist doesn't mean you are creative and being creative doesn't mean you have to be an artist. People will usually find their way when their inner child won't let them stop playing with colors.

UF: Who are your inspirations and why?

I am inspired by everything. I love all kinds of music and books of all genres. I travel and explore as much as I can and truly believe that inspiration comes from everything if you look closer and pay attention to details. I enjoy seeing other people’s work too; it is amazing to see how one idea can be developed in such different ways. As artists, we are reflections of our personalities, as well as who we interact with and learn from. Essentially, as cliched as this may sound, people inspire me, and I learn how they reflect who they are, in everything that they do.

Transcending Identity into Art

Gloria Carnevale on Engaging Student Audiences

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eet Gloria Carnevale. Artist, designer, educator, curator and public speaker, Gloria has lived and worked in Shenzhen for the past seven years.

She primarily works as head of visual arts and design at the International School of Nanshan Shenzhen (ISNS), teaching visual arts and theory of knowledge (TOK) to students in the school’s International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Program (DP). She is also proud to be a founding member and co-chair of ISZAF (International Shenzhen Artist Forum). A practicing artist in the Greater Bay Area, Gloria has spoken at a variety of educational and artistic events such as 21CLHK11, ACAMIS Tech Conference and Spring Leadership Conference, EDTECHGZ, 21CLTeachMeet and PechaKucha. Gloria hold degrees and certifications in visuals arts, design and education. When the Urban Family team met Gloria, she had plenty to share about how she engages her students through art.

UF: Gloria, we are glad to meet you! Tell us about your artwork.

Good to be interviewed! My artwork explores the themes surrounding the concept of identity, such as how relationships and surroundings collaborate to identify a person. I enjoy incorporating both serious and satirical elements into my work, as well as manipulating repetition and bold textures.

UF: Art is considered a vehicle for expression. How does it help build bridges?

Art helps to build bridges in many different ways. Art is a universal language as it provides everyone with the tools to visually express their thoughts and ideas. Through ISZAF, our team developed a mission statement that uses three words that we believe bridge this gap: connect, converse and convey. Art connects a diversity of people of all backgrounds, disciplines and nationalities. It encourages us to converse by constructively discussing, critiquing and exploring the world around us. It provides a platform for us to convey our expression to the different audiences that surround us, and to reflect upon our experiences.

UF: How do you enhance artistic learning experiences to engage your students?

Our visual arts and design department at ISNS is very focused on engaging the Shenzhen community and utilizing it to enhance our learning experiences. We also believe in Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) versus skill. We believe that concept development and process behind an artwork is the key to success in the art room. Skills are explored through student choice and they choose which media best suits their artistic vision. This helps them to take ownership of their work. In this sense, we have had many opportunities where our students have explored this in depth. Real-life experiences are very important to us. My DP visual arts students have helped to curate an exhibition of professional artists in Shenzhen through ISZAF. They helped to select work based on a concept for the show, in addition to displaying it with the guidance of the art community. I also help to organize a critique for all DP visual arts students from major IB schools in Shenzhen. This was an opportunity for students to interact with each other and receive feedback about their artwork from several artists in the community. This event is the first of its kind where schools come together to give and receive feedback. I also enjoy taking my students to major art events so they can learn about a variety of art forms. Most recently, the students are working on exploring 2D and 3D media. They are very interested in street art, so I took the students to a local artist residency in Shenzhen for urban artists.

The students had the opportunity to explore their space and artwork from artists around the world. Following this, we had a local

foreign artist, Andy Cook (CiSTM) create a mural for our school using spray paint. Our students were able to interact with him and witness his creative process.

The students then began to experience spray painting in a digital format through a virtual reality program to practice their skills. They have just engaged in a full-day spray painting workshop with a locally-based foreign artist named Rebecca O’Brien, to learn the skills involved in the process and to test them out.

UF: What kind of support do you offer your students to help them achieve their full artistic potential?

Ultimately, as a teacher, supporting my students and helping them to achieve their full artistic potential is my primary goal and focus. I help my students achieve their protentional in way that fits each one individually. I am available as a mentor to my student and facilitator of learning and help guide them through their projects. I also encourage them not only as an educator but utilizing my real-life experience as a working artist. Through this, I provide them with the necessary tools to unleash an exploration of ideas and thoughts behind their work. This is a collaborative experience between myself and my students and is essential for them to achieve their goals as artists.

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LIFE & WELLBEING

Making Moments in Shenzhen Artist Maria Icaza de Martinez on Combining Photography and 3D Art

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hen we met Maria, the first thing she did was show us her gorgeous creations: 3D domes made from high-quality glass, sitting on eclectic moments captured in Shenzhen. Domes, an architectural element that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere, can be found crowning some of the most beautiful buildings around the world.

Holding these domes in our hands, we were intrigued and inspired by Maria’s creativity. Currently sold as souvenirs at hotels and high-end boutiques, these domes, called wemademoments, are quickly becoming collectibles for urban travelers and those seeking a creative piece of Shenzhen.

Urban Family spoke to Maria about her love of photography and how it inspired her to create a souvenir to commemorate Shenzhen, her new home.

UF: Maria, tell us about yourself! What brought you to Shenzhen?

I spent my childhood in Ecuador, where I lived with my grandmother. She was a big influence in my life, encouraging me to pursue my passion for interior design. She used to let me

move the furniture around her house as many times as I could. Together, we would select fabrics for her furniture and she always took into account my suggestions and point of view. As a teenager, I moved to New York to continue with my education. After a few years, I graduated with a degree in interior design and was fortunate enough to work in the fashion, furniture and design industry for over 20 years.

A few years ago, our family relocated to Shenzhen as my husband was offered a job here and we decided to say yes to a new adventure.

UF: Why and how did you decide to launch wemademoment?

As a creative family with design at our core, we have been fortunate to experience some of the beauty and contrasts that Asia has to offer, while living as expats in the dynamic city of Shenzhen. Our initiative – wemademoments – was born out of our family’s desire to share some of our inspirations with those around us.

UF: Photography is a lens to the world.

How have you captured the essence of Shenzhen in your glass domes?

The moments captured under our glass domes

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reflect some of the elements of dayto-day life that inspire us. Moments like riding your bike around the neighborhood, capturing bright twinkling neon lights, strangers on their way to work and all the greenery that surrounds Shenzhen.

When we first started taking photos, we realized that they were incredibly special. We felt that something had to be made to truly encompass these moments. After experimenting with a few concepts, the idea of putting it under a glass dome was born.

And the rest, as they say, is history. With the wemademoments Shenzhen edition, we wanted to create a product that is small, easy to share, convenient to carry and brings a little bit of Shenzhen to other places. It’s been very successful thus far, and we are looking forward to taking more moments to capture the full essence of Shenzhen.

UF: Where do you find inspiration?

Life has a way of throwing us unique moments that you should pay attention and connect to them. I find inspiration by acknowledging what is in front of me. I have been taking pictures of whatever catches my attention since we moved to China, such as images that reflect a moment, or a shape, object or person that is beautiful to me. The wemademoments images are part of our Shenzhen visual journal and you can check out our website (www.wemademoments.com) for more inspiration.

UF: Many of our readers are students looking to create something meaningful.

Do you have any advice for them?

Try, and then try again! Building a product from scratch takes time, passion, effort and money. You may fail at first but give it a go again. You won’t regret it and one day, you too will make your own moments, just like I did.

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I, Robot

Robot Creators Jerry Wang and Robbie Lu on Why Robotics is Excellent for STEAM Education

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hat does Sofia, Siri, Alexa and Cortana have in common? That’s right. They are all robots. As our world looks to a future of fully-blown artificial intelligence, robots will soon possess even more advanced features. Students with skills in this area are bound to reap huge benefits as they prepare themselves for future jobs. Incorporating creativity and fun, robotics helps to address the growing demand for teaching STEAM in school.

So, why is robotics so critical to STEAM education and should parents invest in a robot? To learn more, Urban Family met Jerry Wang and Robbie Lu from Robobloq, a Shenzhen-based robotics education solutions provider.

UF: Why did you establish Robobloq?

We set up in May 2017, with the aim to be one of the top robotics education solution providers in Shenzhen. We really wanted to harness and take advantage of the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) manufacturing prowess to ensure that that we produce quality products at good prices. Both of us have been in the STEAM industry for several years and are experienced in developing products and promoting it both locally and overseas. The company was thus borne out of a desire to teach students how to create and educate them in STEAM. Within a month of setting up Robobloq, we received USD1 million from a public company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The funding was important to us as we could immediately put together a strong research and development team.

intelligent devices can be found everywhere.

Armed with the knowledge that learning tools and toys must evolve, we set out to create products that were accessible and wellpriced, as well as technologically advanced.

The reviews that we recieved were fantastic, and we did not expect that kids could learn so much from our products. We believe that play is most important in the early years learning process, and that children must be inspired and nurtured to learn in an organic way.

Through creative play, learning comes naturally. It is therefore important to use smart toys like robots in an organic, playful way, rather than look at it as a learning tool.

UF: Has having a presence in the GBA helped at all?

Yes! Being in the GBA has helped us tremendously with sales and promotion. We are true supporters of the region and believe that the Shenzhen is the best place in the GBA to develop new products as there are so many suppliers around the area. It takes less time and energy to develop and build a product in Shenzhen. In particular, start-ups here are very aggressive when it comes to promoting their products and brands both locally and overseas. With the ability to secure good partners in Shenzhen, we enjoyed increased speed to market, giving us plenty of opportunity to innovate. Within two years, Robobloq has gone from a start-up to an established company. Our products are now sold to schools and families in over 40 countries around the world. Innovative companies like ours have definitely helped Shenzhen make its mark as the place to come to source STEAM toys. Of course, having a good product is key. Our DIY robots are designed with kids in mind, using

modularized parts. It is as simple as playing with Lego bricks. When building a robot or creating their own robots, kids use their problem-solving abilities, creativity, computing know-how, logical thinking and analytical skills, all drawn from strands in STEAM education.

UF: Should parents invest in a robot?

Absolutely. Robotics are the best entry tool for STEAM education. For example, our latest product Qobo is designed for kids from ages 3-8. The robot is very easy to code and barely takes about 90 minutes to build. Our other products cater to kids up to age 10, regardless of gender, skill or language level, and are just as easy to play with and learn from.

Parents should take advantage of teaching materials on our website (robobloq.com) and encourage their children to enter competitions and exchanges, as it will truly pave the path to skills in STEAM education.

Robotics is here to stay and we should take advantage of all the great products that are available here in the GBA.

ROBOT UF: Why is robotics so critical in STEAM education?

Our world is changing dramatically and that

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COVER STORY

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TEAM education stands for ‘Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.’ A huge part of schools today, STEAM education is essential for future skills. In this cover story, we look at why it is so critical in our current day and age, and how it will transform our future generations to come. Turn over for more.

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Full STEAM Ahead

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COVER STORY

Full STEAM Ahead The Case for STEAM in Education

By Lena Gidwani

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f you are familiar with the educational or technology sectors, you have undoubtedly heard about STEM, or as the cool kids like to call it these days, STEAM. After all, it’s been at the forefront of education for the last decade. What is STEAM, and why is it playing such a big role in education?An educational approach to transdisciplinary learning, STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The ‘A’ for Arts is a very recent addition, and has transformed how STEM subjects are taught, adding an element of fun, excitement and creativity to guide student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking. The end result? Innovation, exploration and understanding, ideally.

There's a reason why STEAM is being championed heavily in learning institutions, and why so many schools, teachers and students are excited about it. In traditional schools, each subject is taught in a separate, contained lesson. But rather than keeping these key subjects separate, with STEAM, they are mixed together so students study more than one subject and use multiple skills at the same time, engaging their curiosity and strengthening their critical thinking skills in ways that are applicable to the real world. The buzz phrase here are transdisciplinary inquiry.

Quite simply, STEAM compels students to ask open-ended questions that might not seem to connect to the subject at hand when taken at face value, but that, upon deeper exploration, are in fact very relevant.

STEAM has little place for standardized assessment testing and rote teaching. It strives instead to prepare students for what we adults experience in real life and in our competitive workplaces.

So how is STEAM put into practise on a day-to-day basis? It’s easy! For a child who studies at a school where the language of instruction is English, for example, they may be asked to explain how they conducted a science experiment in their second language or be asked to create a video presentation using handmade visuals.

By presenting to a group of peers,

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collaborative evaluation and reflection occurs, just like in real life. Can they find other ways to conduct the same experiment? Perhaps. In fact, through this, teachers might just be setting the scene for students' mysterious future careers as a (bilingual) scientists with top-notch publicspeaking skills. In fact, current research tells us that when considering the kinds of jobs our future workforce will need to fill, STEAM skills are in the highest demand.

Experts have noted that the greatest questions facing our world (and humanity) today will not be answered by a single body of knowledge or practice, but by a true and meaningful combination of skills, fields and disciplines. Once you’ve graduated from high school or university, no one’s going to care if you forgot the roots of a quadratic equation, but they will revel at your ability to take on multiple projects, lead teams based in different corners of the world and analyze data to reveal integral findings never considered before.

Roger Lewin, a British prize-winning science writer and author, once said: “Probably the most important skill that children learn is how to learn. Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. This is a mistake.” In other words, learning occurs when a student answers a question, but understanding comes about when he/she questions an answer. These two processes are reciprocally exclusive, yet intricately related. It is this cyclical progression of learning and understanding that sets a solid foundation for inquiry and innovation, nurturing the problem-solving skills our children will need in tomorrow’s world. Most of our inventions and discoveries would have never seen the light of day if not for the continual process of asking and answering questions. As a parent of two (thus inevitably a lifelong inquirer and learner), I constantly urge my children to discuss, analyze and challenge what they must for a better world, to foster, instill and inspire their curious, developing minds. They may not grow up to become

scientists, engineers or designers, but at least they will grow up knowing how to think like one. Full STEAM ahead!

Current research tells us that when considering the kinds of jobs our future workforce will need to fill, STEAM skills are in the highest demand

Coding the Future

Preparing Kids For Our (Tech-y) Tomorrow

By Lena Gidwani

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ove over violin and Mandarin lessons.

There’s an activity in town with the power to completely shape future careers: coding. With fundamental shifts and disruption expected for current models of business and a need to manage reskilling and upskilling to avoid losses, our world as we know it (and, more specifically, the classroom) is evolving dramatically. And as it turns out, one of the most highly prized skill sets that anyone can have in the global economy appears to be coding skills.

Deemed ‘the new literacy’ by some, it’s conspicuously made its way into most wellestablished mainstream classrooms and is seen as a must-have skill for those as young as five to be able to compete in our tech-filled future. The Preparing for the Future of Work Project by the World Economic Forum has predicted in one popular estimate, that 65% of young primary students will be employed in new job types that don’t yet exist. The report highlights that students must be skilled in all areas of new technology into order to prepare for and anticipate future skills requirements.

So, what exactly is coding, and why is everyone talking about it? In short, writing code tells a computer what to do. From apps and websites to browsers and operating systems, just about everything is made with code. As machines cannot code, it is up to humans to create the framework of the digital world we are all increasing reliant on.

Today’s trends in educational technology, given that we are now in the Fourth Industrial

Revolution, should not be new to us all. More than half a century ago, the late Seymour Papert, a South African-born American mathematician, educator and computer scientist, talked about children using computers as a tool for enriching innovation, creativity and learning. Papert was definitely on to something, albeit early. Mitch Resnick, a professor at MIT, author of Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity Through Projects, Passion, Peers and Play, and a huge Papert follower, notes that coding is akin to writing. He says that both are ways to communicate with others; coding just happens to use a newer medium to do so.

Technologist and founder/CEO of Shopify Inc. Tobi Lütke wholeheartedly agrees, saying that “Whoever figures out how to teach computer literacy first will have, by far, the most prepared work force for the future.” Intrigued? You should be, for all the textbooks in the world will not prepare you for the future that awaits us. We’ll leave you with some food for thought by none other than Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization with a goal of creating free online tools for students everywhere: “To prepare humanity for the next 100 years, we need more of our children to learn computer programming skills, regardless of their future profession. Along with reading and writing, the ability to program is going to define what an educated person is.” Indeed, education is not about teaching them for today; it’s about preparing them for tomorrow.

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COVER STORY

Making The Future

STEAM Maker Hubs, Spaces, Faires and Competitions Collated by Benjamin James Simpson and Lena Gidwani

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orbes recently ran an article about Shenzhen with this tagline: “Want to imagine the future? Go to Silicon Valley. Want to make the future? Go to Shenzhen.” Shenzhen has indeed been named the Silicon Valley of high-tech hardware. A maker hub, people from around the world flock to this city because the easy availability of parts and components, no matter how simple or complicated, makes it a great place to develop products and stretch the boundaries of your creativity. Guangzhou too, is catching on. Below are just some of the STEAM initiatives around the region. There are a few upcoming events in both cities too, so read on if you want to participate.

Nanshan School Maker Faire (Shenzhen) Every November, schools from across Shenzhen team up at the Nanshan School Maker Faire so that students can exhibit and share their work with the community. The faire attracts projects from across the board: robotics, music, fashion, automotive, painting, storytelling, electronics, cooking, videography, dance and anything else that the students have worked on as part of their education journey. But it is not just the students who are curious; everyone at the faire is asking questions and sharing ideas and experiences in creative problem solving, inspiring others with their interests and personal stories. In 2018, Shenzhen American International School, SteamHead (an educational non-profit in America that supports a makerspace in Shenzhen) and Design Society (event producers of SeaWorld’s Culture and Art Center) organized and collaborated with the Shenzhen education community to bring the Nanshan School Maker Faire into its new home at the beautiful Seaworld Culture and Arts Center. This allowed the event to bring in over 32 schools and organizations and accommodate more than 100 interactive, student-led exhibits. Teachers and students are invited to take part in the planning and production. This collaboration ensures the community’s needs are met, and it gives students and teachers meaningful ownership of the event. Kids are able to help set up this large-scale event and understand the stakes of getting things done because it’s for their event and their project. Carrie Leung, the event’s founder, shared, “Something that I really love is the behind-the-scenes stuff. Some of the teachers forgot these little support brackets for their signs, so an engineering team – a bunch of high schoolers – helped them out. We see much support for one and all, and both educators and students help each other to set the space and get ready for the public. To me, that is just amazing.” The event brings the Nanshan community together every year, and the public is encouraged to come explore and ask questions, because you never know what you might learn. Each year, people have been thrilled to see parents, teachers and students alike embracing hands-on, project-based learning and sharing not only shiny, polished products, but also projects that were meaningful learning experiences for the students, regardless of outcome.

For more information or to participate, contact james.xps@outlook.com and he’ll help direct you to school contacts in your area.

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Shenzhen City Maker Faire Shenzhen is famous as a high-tech and manufacturing metropolis. When you combine that expertise with innovative education and the maker spirit, you get the Shenzhen City Maker Faire! The event brings tech companies, electrical engineers, manufacturing experts and computer programmers to feature their skills and wares. But this is no ordinary convention.

Here, the community celebrates that tech is for everyone: tech is playful, low-tech and high-tech coexist, tech is educational and tech is motivational. The Shenzhen City Maker Faire features new product designs by a variety of high tech and consumer product companies across China, but they are shared by the actual product designers to encourage driving questions about how things were made and why. In addition, the Maker Faire features products and projects from hobbyists, artists, and anyone who wants to share their passions with interested onlookers. Kids can meet engineers, ask questions, share their aspirations and even share their own projects! What’s the difference between the School Maker Faire and the City Maker Faire? One expert source from inside the Shenzhen education industry said, “The School Maker Faire is just for kids and everyone there comes to see the kids and ask them questions. But the City Maker Faire is for kids to ask the questions! Adults show kids how they are trying to help people and then we get asked the questions.” Everyone passionate about creativity, regardless of experience or ability, unites at this annual event.

For more information visit shenzhenmakerfaire.com for updates on the upcoming 2020 show. For shows around the world, check https://makerfaire.com/. For all related Maker information in print or online, check https://makezine.com/

SteamHead Open Badges (Shenzhen) Makerspaces have tons of awesome equipment that emphasize learning through doing, or knowledge gained self-creation. 3D printers, laser cutters, dancing robots and so much more can be found at these collaborative hubs. Educators have been impressed by the accessibility and relevance of prototyping real-world solutions with high tech tools and are now bringing ‘maker’ into education. The terms vary depending on curriculum or strand of learning, but range from STEM, STEAM, MakerEd, Design Thinking or Project Based Learning. Regardless of what it’s called, schools must decide how to implement their programs in a way that best serves their students. For example: does a 3D printer class that teaches every student how to 3D print toys and shapes, teach what we want? SteamHead is one of many educational organizations that say, “No. Craft skills alone are not enough.” SteamHead Open Badges are an organized system of about 70 micro-credentials (learning pathways to gain makerspace skills) that guide ‘maker education’ programs to use makerspace tools in a way that enables students to gain mastery and develop projects which are both impactful and planned. A meaningful educational project should impact the people or places in the student’s life and be carefully planned and driven by the student versus following exact instructions from a teacher. The badges allow for these kinds of open-ended projects to be managed and measured by teacher and student alike. For example, an ‘Open Badge’ structured 3D printer project might include research and interviews at a nearby retirement community to gain an understanding of the residents and environment, brainstorming and storyboarding to help plan how 3D printed objects benefit the community, and then finally training on 3D modeling and 3D printing with the final project being to design and print a helpful tool for the residents of the retirement community. The badge system goes a long way towards helping educators communicate the value of time spent interviewing and brainstorming and gives much deeper meaning to the resulting 3D printed objects.

This documentation also directly influences administration, parental support and funding for the programs that the teachers run.

Open to all throughout the year. For more information, add WeChat BoomTown001 or email SteamHeadSZ@outlook.com. Files can be found at SteamHead.Space/open-badges

SteamHead Teacher Makerspace (Shenzhen) SteamHead is an educational non-profit in the US, that supports a makerspace in Shenzhen. It’s a free makerspace for teachers, with an open house every Wednesday that is run by a community of teachers that support it. The space itself costs about RMB10,000 a month to operate and exists as a place to build open source projects, as well as for schools or classrooms to get inspiration for their own spaces. It’s primarily funded out-of-pocket by its founders, as an effort in social service. It houses many high-tech projects, but made as cheaply as possible, with a goal of enabling schools to create and prototype the projects/products themselves. The primary focus on each of the projects is ‘design thinking’, rather than the use of high-tech tools. Together the members enable, support and build school groups that participate in maker events. They run support meetings, workshops and document the journeys of the participants. SteamHead members do this in order to increase their city’s capacity to add design thinking and maker mindsets into local education. Co-founders Benjamin James Simpson and Carrie Leung are focused on empowering educators to make changes in their classrooms. SteamHead and public education events in Shenzhen are some the biggest impacts they have led.

For information on location and timings, visit www.SteamHead.Space. Alternatively, email steamheadsz@outlook.com

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Neighborhood Earth Open to all, Neighborhood Earth involves teachers from around the world bringing affordable hightech materials and tools with them to share with other educators and students in schools and regions that do not necessarily have access or the funds for STEAM education. Every summer, teachers from Shenzhen travel to different countries around the world to share some of the goodies that our region has. Shenzhen’s access to these materials in an amazing treat to share with foreign groups, and the teachers from Shenzhen also get a chance to stay up-to-date on educational trends from around the world through direct interaction with the communities that they visit during their travels. The Boy's and Girl's Club in Yucca Valley, California, is a frequent stop. The students there don’t have easy or ready access to STEAM materials. By bringing Shenzhen teachers to the club in this desert town, students get a chance to have one-on-one interactions, discuss ideas and enjoy access to information to make their STEAM projects a success. Students from Shenzhen have even joined the teachers on some of their some trips. Locations aren’t limited to traditional student centers, as 2018’s trip to the Chaos Computer Congress showed. Five Shenzhen-trained educators met in Leipzig, Germany, at a convention camp that has been attracting Europe’s largest hacker community for 35 years. Neighborhood Earth volunteers from Shenzhen setup affordable tech stations, trained and consulted with teachers needing guidance. At the end of the conference, they donated all of the materials to local German educators. The program is beginning to get larger and more educators from international locations are seeking involvement. For example, in November 2019, students from Indiana University in the US will visit Shenzhen and volunteer to teach technology to primary and secondary school girls. They are seeking to empower girls to pursue technology and will host several workshops in English and Chinese.

For more information on the girl’s workshop in Shenzhen, contact amaltese@indiana.edu. To find out about volunteering overseas, email steamheadsz@outlook.com or add boomtown001 on WeChat

China Robotics Challenge 2019

STEAM Lessons at School

Each year, the China Robotics Challenge, deemed to be one of the world’s largest artificial intelligent robotic championships, brings together people from all over the world who compete with self-made, autonomous robots in several competitions. In 2018, there were 2,288 contestants and 445 coaches from 233 institutions across 30 countries, building a grand total of 1,478 robots. It will be held this year from August 9-11, with location and other details to be released soon.

While most schools provide some form of STEAM education, there are some that have dedicated lessons as part of their curriculum.

Canton Global Academy in Guangzhou is an example of a school providing dedicated STEAM lessons to students as part of their timetable, in areas like coding, programming, 3D design, 3D printing and robotics.

Check school websites for more information.

Check http://robotchallenge.org.cn/ or email info@robotchallenge.org.cn

EDTECHGZ

EdTech Start-ups in Guangzhou

Guangzhou’s leading educational technology conference will be held in October at the American International School of Guangzhou. Now in its sixth year, EDTECHGZ, hosted by AISG, brings together over 300 participants from over 50 schools throughout China. Products and services, including live demonstrations, are on display by sponsors. Last year, there were over 60 presentations given by educators from all over China, who presented on the latest trends in education.

According to the website below, there are over 30 EdTech startups in Guangzhou. The site provides information to 10 of the most exciting and forward-thinking ones in the city.

Registration will open in August 2019. For more information, check http://ramlog. aisgz.org/edtechgz/

Check https://tracxn.com/explore/EdTech-Startups-in-Guangzhou/

Yi-Gather (Guangzhou) Yi-Gather is a co-working community of creators at its heart. Designed for startups and innovators to build connections, you can find plenty of resources and network with others. The space is also home to a regular Yi-Gather Meetup, a monthly event where people give short talks about the personal narratives behind the things that they do, create or are interested in.

Check www.yitopia.co, add WeChat ID: yi-gather or call 020-8186 9804. They are located at 1/F, 68 Zhongshan Qi Lu, Liwan District, Guangzhou

Looking for a job in STEAM? Calling all educators! Guangdong is an amazing place to develop your STEAM skills. Robotics materials and prototyping tools are easily accessible and affordable all over Guangdong. You can also consider visiting makerspaces like SteamHead or create your own maker programs to develop your skills. Shenzhen and Guangzhou both have options for Maker Education certificates and plenty of supportive communities to help you. If you want to expand your horizons, there are many excellent STEAM education jobs out there. For some examples, check out the Make Magazine job board at https://jobs.make.co/

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When Fashion Meets Tech Meet The MakeFashion Edu Students and Mentors Collated by Benjamin James Simpson and Claire Marie Williams

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aking waves in the field of fashion innovation are students from Shenzhen, who are members of MakeFashion Edu workshops. Set up in schools across Shenzhen and open to students of all ages, MakeFashion Edu is an international organisation. Here in Shenzhen, the workshops culminate in a fashion show, featuring these young designers, who integrate technology into fashion to create the future of wearable technology. They are a new generation of creators, bringing technology into a creative field that demands it but has traditionally been very separate from it. Their fashion pieces are bold, spark the imagination and explore unique modes of self-expression.

The fashion show gives students the experience of creating a runway and gallery that features projects made by them and their peers, that can take up to a year to create.

When students create fashion tech for the MakeFashion Edu show, they are not aspiring fashion designers – they are fashion designers.

The students are encouraged to express themselves and decide what story they want to tell in the design process. This exploration phase can take a majority of design time as the students learn and try out possibilities.

The students use technology as though it were

“If there are two things in our material world that would make the world go round, it is fashion and technology. Everywhere we go or look, there are dazzling references to both right before our eyes, blurring the lines between in. It’s hard not to get excited about this discovery, even though it’s not exactly new” any other tool or material, cutting it up and applying it judiciously and creatively. Rather than focusing on in-depth engineering principles, MakeFashion Edu workshops encourage students who don’t necessarily selfidentify as engineers to use tech to express their ideas and tell their fashion stories. In turn, technology can be de-mystified and made accessible to these students and their communities. This year, about 20 runway projects have been selected from a pool of applications. More will appear at the show’s gallery on May 26 at the Culture and Arts

Center in Seaworld, for the big reveal and the much-anticipated runway show! Urban Family caught up with some MakeFashion Edu members from the International School of Nanshan Shenzhen and Shenzhen American International School, as well as mentors James, Carrie, Claire and Michelle.

MakeFashion Edu’s 4th show will take place May 26 at the Culture and Arts Center in Seaworld, Shenzhen. Visit MakeFashion.org/ edu for details or visit instagram.com/ makefashionedu for some amazing photos of student projects!

The Students Melody Chen, International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, Grade 5 I decided to participate in Makefashion EDU because I loved the learning objectives and philosophy of the club. I have really enjoyed working with LED light parts and weaving technology into my costume. It is very interesting and technical, making it a challenge for me. So, let me tell you about Flynn, my costume’s persona. Flynn is an active boy who lives in Shenzhen. He loves to play squash. At school, he realized that there was a lot of bullying taking place. He didn't want to be a bystander and wanted to stand up for others, so he started to think about how he could use his wonderful powers of playing squash to defend the bullies. And he did, by squashing them! Flynn raises awareness by giving superhero speeches to students, resulting in fewer bullies at school since he started his mission. Through the creation of my costume, I wanted to show people that by being caring, kindness and appreciation will be returned. I am keen on using this form of art to communicate a strong and emotional message.

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Galen, International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, Grade 4

Henry, International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, Grade 4

I was inspired to make this costume because many kids are scared of the dark and I wanted something cool to help kids alleviate this fear.

In the past, I would have never thought I could make something like this because I did not how to incorporate technology into fashion. By participating in MakeFashion Edu and creating this costume, I have proven to myself that just because I am scared of something, it doesn’t mean I can’t overcome it. My outfit – a flowy robe – was created so it looks like a child hiding in the dark. Incorporating swords, shields and masks, this robe helps children feel safe in the dark. What I have really enjoyed about my project thus far is the process of refining my ideas over a period of time. I learnt that sometimes our ideas don’t always pan out. I have now learnt that changes are inevitable. I think walking down the runway on May 26 at the show will be hard for me. I might make a mistake or fall off! But at least I will be wearing a cool robe. Scared of the dark? Fear no more!

Galen is here to save the day!

My primary reason for wanting to join MakeFashion Edu is because I wanted to build a gaming helmet that was equipped with more light, so I could see other players when playing games. When you are in the dark, it often hurts your eyes and can be a bit scary. Wearing a helmet with plenty of light can solve this issue. I also wanted people to think about electricity and how to save it. I was inspired by the game Clash of Clans, as there is a character that uses bowling balls to protect himself. Pretty cool, huh? My outfit consists of a helmet, pants, shirt and gloves that uses plenty of LED lights, both on and in them. To make my costume, I had to learn how to sew. As the materials were thick, it was tough to get the needle through. Putting lights through the holes on my pants was extremely difficult and I had to do it very slowly and patiently. I have really enjoyed learning how to sew, learning how to incorporate LED lights and most of all, learning new ways of working with electronics.

Amy Hu, Shenzhen American International School, Grade 4

Angela Shan, Shenzhen American International School, Grade 4

I absolutely love the MakeFashion Edu workshops. It is plenty of work but it is fun too, and we can talk to real designers about our projects. It opened new pathways for me.

I didn’t really like computers or electronics before this. Actually, I disliked anything to do with tech. But the others loved it and I soon caught on. Now, it is so exciting and we all work together. I have used coding, programming and electronics like wires and lights to improve my artistic designs.

MakeFashion Edu has helped me tremendously. I learnt new block coding techniques by independently researching them on YouTube. Sewing was my biggest challenge. Honestly, it is a lot harder than programming! But, we needed to make physical outfits to show programming in action, so there was no way I could avoid it.

My outfit will be seen by everyone on the runway at the MakeFashion Edu show on May 26, and I am very excited about that.

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Lily Zhou, Shenzhen American International School, Grade 4 MakeFashion Edu projects are so interesting because they teach you to try and try again.

Kids fail but keep trying to work on what they want to build. Throughout the process, I saw students create, recreate and tweak again. I don’t think that teachers like all of the projects or even approve of them. However, the kids choose them and this is the most important aspect. This is our work and we have to own it! My classmates and I have donated our 2018 projects to teachers who are trying to bring the program to new classes. We hope it inspires them to create and innovate.

The Mentors Benjamin James Simpson

Carrie Leung

Besides mentoring MakeFashion Edu students in classrooms in China and the United States, I am passionate about empowering teachers, students and communities in techniques and formalization of their makerspaces. In addition to working in classrooms, I have also co-founded three makerspaces in Shenzhen. I use my engineering and academic mindset to organize the chaotic world of making into a system of learnable innovation by releasing open-source tools, hosting public meetings and donating time to organizations in Shenzhen. As a makerspace manager, I have been able to create lesson plans and events where the voices of the students are heard by overjoyed adults, who feel they are finally able to understand the language of creativity that these kids have been speaking in. The average student is overwhelmingly passionate but needs the support of their community to make their ideas real. To run successful innovation spaces, I truly believe that community building and open-source development is at the core of it all. Our assets are the minds and motivations of our members, and our jobs as organizers are to bring structure and platforms to members. I have indeed been blessed with a career of giving a voice to creators.

A San Francisco native, I have called Shenzhen home for the past eight years. Lifelong maker, mentor, thinker and tinkerer, I strive to kindle curiosity and imagination into tangible projects. A Silicon Valley veteran, I made the shift from my tech and finance career into education, focusing on making relevant education accessible. Wearing many hats including director of MakerEd at Shenzhen American International School and co-founder and board member of SteamHead, I empower young minds and enable communities through making, sharing and collaboration by executing project-based learning methods. I have also created open-source platforms, encouraged grassroots movements in communities and leveraged maker culture to positively progress communities both in Shenzhen and internationally.

Claire Marie Williams I am one of two mentors for MakeFashion Edu students at International School of Nanshan Shenzhen (ISNS). My role is technology integration coordinator for the Primary Years Program (PYP) at ISNS. I love what I do! I am known for teaching coding, robotics, animation, design thinking and maker time projects with my students, along with supporting and empowering teachers to use technology to enhance their curriculum. The three designs made by Melody, Galen and Henry from ISNS are special to both my comentor Michelle and I, as they represent the transformation of the students and show their journey throughout this process. They really challenged themselves and found exciting ways of express their ideas through fashion and technology.

Most importantly, we have seen their confidence in their creative voices steadily grow over the course of time.

Michelle Thacker I am also a mentor for MakeFashion Edu students at International School of Nanshan Shenzhen. A PYP art teacher, I am also very interested in technology and design and enjoy helping students use technology as another tool to express themselves. I saw MakerFashion Edu as a great opportunity to use my background in art to challenge students (and myself) to explore their creativity through fashion. For the students to feel supported, we recruited parents as partners in this process by asking for their help. We encouraged them to interview their child about their project and the inspiration behind the costumes. This helped the teams to keep on top of timelines. It is very important to seek ways to engage parents in sharing ownership of the process, so it builds creativity, interest and a love of art and technology.

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An Introduction to Virtual Reality HI-Tech Made Affordable

By Benjamin James Simpson

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irtual Reality (VR) is here and is evolving rapidly, making it undesirable to define. In essence, VR allows you experience things or places that actually don’t exist, making you feel that you are ‘in the zone’, both physically and mentally.

The games are fun, the education is interesting… but, a medium-level system costs about RMB30,000 and requires a spare room to house it! Yikes! However, introductory level VR can be explored with a smart phone and a RMB50 headset. The software? Free.

Parents with kids might want a VR system today but might not want it tomorrow. This is a great option for those who seek an inexpensive but good way to test it out.

Teachers with classes of 30 students? Start here. We recommend CoSpaces as your first piece of VR software, but there are hundreds of choices. Type VR into your smartphone’s app store, and you will see tons of games. Search for ‘Periodic Table of VR,’ and you will find dozens of recommended educational apps. Approach VR like a new language – try it out in lots of different ways! For a good introduction to VR, here are three tips!

The Software CoSpaces.io runs on laptops, tablets and phones. It is both a 3D modeling program as well as a VR viewing application. Create a VR world on a laptop or tablet, and then open it on a phone (with a VR headset) to view it in VR. To start, students can drag around premade 3D models to create, for example, a forest scene full of animals. For an advanced student, new objects can be created from elemental building blocks, a little bit like Minecraft. When a student wants to create highly detailed, completely new 3D models of real-world objects, they should move on to other programs like TinkerCad or Rhino3D. The age level compares to any simple drawing software, where a 4-year-old could be interested in playing with it on an iPad, or a university student might use it to create a rough draft before opening advanced drawing

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software. Students from grades four through six seem to be posting the most drawings on CoSpace’s online community.

CoSpaces is currently being used as a tool in a variety of situations. At a recent meetup in Shenzhen, a teacher at a school used CoSpaces to model a student’s fashion technology project in VR before beginning construction. At another school in Shenzhen, a history teacher had students recreate scenes from the Roman Empire, to aid in their studies and understanding of Rome’s historical events. At a teaching event in Guangzhou, teachers were able to share the VR projects from over 20 students, simply by bringing a few extra smartphones.

The VR Headset A VR headset is the box that goes on your head and holds the computer display in front of your eyes. For a crystal-clear highresolution display, it will cost about RMB30,000. For a very good display, you can simply get a box that holds your phone in front of your eyes and has two glass lenses.

Search for ‘Google Cardboard’ on most online shopping platforms, and you will be presented with a host of good options. For

less than RMB50, Taobao or Tmall provide a variety of offerings. Classroom teachers should choose a plastic ‘Google Cardboard’ with a fabric head strap, to ensure that it will survive rough handling by dozens of excited students.

Pro Tip: Make sure the VR Headset has a button. Without a button, you can look around a VR world, but can’t walk around.

The button will be big and very visible, on the top of the VR headset.

The Smartphone Most phones from the past three years will work fine. Test your own phone first, by downloading the CoSpaces app and loading a scene. Better yet, download the app, hand the phone to the nearest kid and tell them they can play in VR if they can figure out how to use the app. You will create one dedicated researcher, and this is a great lesson in inquiry. Samsung S7 phones and above will work. Apple iPhone 8 and above will work. The key ingredient is an accelerometer, which will allow the phone to track the movements of your head. Tech folks, you know how to check your phone specifications. For everyone else, just test it out and enjoy the learning experience.

STEAM Toys

Bots and Bits For Kids (and Adults!)

By Benjamin James Simpson

Looking to buy STEAM toys? Here is a top spot in Shenzhen to source them. They deliver around the region and are very helpful.

MG Space This is a student makerspace in Shenzhen that connects students with real engineers to help make their ideas a reality. Besides a physical location, they also have a fantastic online shop that ships around the country, especially to Guangzhou. The online shop features both company products and student products. Student products are things that kids at MG Space have created and it is definitely worth checking out. Many of the STEAM toys are imported and therefore the prices can be a little expensive. If you need to find something cheaper, use the store as an inspiration and try to find similar items on other local e-commerce websites.

Shop link: https://shop526783.youzan.com/v2/feature/18ci6fwkt Short link: http://bit.ly/MGspace

Now that you know where to buy STEAM toys, here are the top three toys selected by STEAM teachers in the PRD. To see good examples of each or videos, simply do an online search on YouTube.

MakeyMakey MakeyMakey is a invention/device that lets you turn anything into an electronic keyboard! Banana piano, anyone? This device is best suited for young children but university students will equally be amazed and entertained by MakeyMakeys.

Official website: Makeymakey.com Buy local: https://preview.tinyurl.com/MGmakey1 STEAM educator tip: You can make your own version of this from a RMB24 arduino and get them into the hands of lots of students. However, we recommend starting by buying one or two MakeyMakeys so that you have an idea of how fun it is when there is no setup required.

BBC micro:bit Move Mini No, this is not a news channel. It is a small car kit based on the famous micro:bit. This kit is ready to assemble and drive but can also be programmed through a free (and excellent) online tool. The micro:bit is a fantastic learning tool, and a free online coding tutorial walks students through an introduction. Ages 7 to 107 will have the best time with this product. For large classes of 30 students, five of these kits plus 30 micro:bits would be a great set of tools.

Official website: Makecode.microbit.org Buy local: https://tinyurl.com/MGmicrobit1 STEAM educator tip: You do not need to learn how to use the micro:bit before your students! Spend just 10 minutes or so to learn how to connect it to a computer,

LittleBits LittleBits are a set of Lego-style bits and accesories that are actually fully functional robotics components. There are a few kits available to purchase but the Gizmos and Gadgets kit is a good starting point. LittleBits has one of the best STEAM websites that many teachers have ever seen, and is full of teaching resources for parents, teachers and kids. These products are best for children below ten but older kids will also benefit from spending about 20 minutes or so with the kits, turning them from consumer to creator.

and then let the students learn the coding through the online focus. A teacher’s job can then be focused on managing the students and encouraging them to find their own answers.

Official website: LittleBits.com Buy local: https://tinyurl.com/MGlittle1 STEAM educator tip: Put LittleBits in your school robotics library for a short time, so that students can use and learn from it quickly. They are excellent as an introductory tool, helping students to achieve insights and depth of understanding in 30 minutes or so, that might otherwise take several days. However, after this introduction, students will generally be ready for a more advanced set of tools.

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Championing Teamwork SWIS Robotics Team Wins Rookie All-Star Award Edited for brevity by Lena Gidwani

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fter months of preparation, a group of enterprising students from Shen Wai International School (SWIS) won the prestigious Rookie All-Star award at the FRC 2019 season, held at the competition’s Finger Lakes Regionals on March 14 and 15 in Rochester, New York. FRC stands for FIRST Robotics Competition and this year’s theme was ‘Deep Space’. This is the first time that a SWIS Robotics team had participated in an international robotics competition and won the Rookie All-Star award. Even though they did not place in the final FRC championships in Houston this April, they learnt a great deal and made our community proud. Urban Family were very keen on speaking to the team to learn more about their journey.

UF: Congratulations on your win! What hurdles did you face in your journey?

At the start of the season, our team was facing severe funding issues. We lacked equipment and experienced members, and struggled to keep the team together. However, we knew we had to come together and work as a team. We started off by visiting other FRC teams. One of the schools we visited was Shenzhen Foreign Languages School (SFLS), where we met with Team 6414 Voyager. They guided us step-bystep during game season. They taught us how to raise funds and gave us access to their past documentation. They even sent four of their members to assist us during the build season!

With the support from our school, we successfully sought out sponsors and went to visit their companies. It is an absolute must to

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mention that we would not have been able to achieve what we did without the support of our gracious sponsors.

UF: After winning the Rookie All-Star award, your team was invited to attend the FRC final championship in Houston. How did that go?

The FRC championship took place in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Huston over three days in April. After the regional competition in Rochester, our robot was shipped directly to Houston. Aiming for better performance and another win, we upgraded our robot. The mechanics team upgraded the elevator and intake systems for stability and swiftness before the qualification rounds. Driver controls were also improved, allowing the driver more flexibility in each match. The Houston championships gave us a good opportunity to see how experienced and adept teams coped with the different challenges designed by the FRC. Even though we didn’t place in the end, we took this opportunity to see what the winning teams had done. In addition, we witnessed the first Chinese team entering the final championships at Minute Maid Park (a huge ballpark in downtown Houston). We also watched the Chinese anthem being sung on the Einstein Field for the first time ever. It was truly a spectacular moment and one we will never forget.

UF: What did you learn about teamwork whilst completing the robot?

FRC is not just about building a robot for the

competition. Instead, it is about fostering and inspiring the spirit of teamwork. The mission of FRC is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build STEAM skills. The competition also aims to inspire innovation and foster skills like self-confidence, communication and leadership. Our current robotics team consists of 20 members, with 16 from SWIS and four from SFLS. During build season, we divided our tasks. Our team specialized in preparing and competing in the FRC and our members were allocated to four groups: mechanics, design, business and programming. The mechanics group was in charge of building the robot and the electronics and mechanisms that came with it. Members in the programming group wrote code, which powered the robot and made it functional. The design group was responsible for designing the logo, gifts and promotional items. The business group was in charge of writing business plans, community outreach and promoting the team on social media platforms and around school.

We all worked seamlessly together and it was a true team effort.

UF: In what ways did your teachers and community support you?

We received plenty of support from our community. As the part of the FRC competition, we ensured that we actively spread the spirit of STEAM. We set up a WeChat subscription account and promoted our FRC project around the SWIS campus. During our Chinese New Year event at school this year, we had a booth to showcase promotional videos of our team and the FRC competition. After that, we held two fundraising projects to raise funds and awareness in the SWIS community. It was a team event and everyone pitched in.

UF: What are your team's future plans?

As we approach the second year of the FRC, we are in the midst of creating new plans and working on our game strategy. Armed with the experience and knowledge gained this year, we are very confident and excited to see what else we can achieve. Our younger teammates are being trained and our new team captain has already been selected. We are looking forward to building a new robot and possibly competing at the Robotics Championship Competition and China Robotics Challenge this year.

Beating The Odds Team Cypher Named Winners of CREATE Edited for brevity by Lena Gidwani

C

REATE, which stands for Competition for REimagining Arts, Technology and Engineering, took place in April this year. Students aged 13-17 from around the PRD were invited to submit prototypes of novel and innovative products and/or services, using future-focused technologies.

Hosted at the Guangzhou Foreign Language School in Nansha, several teams were in the running for the grand prize.

After battling it out with several other teams, Team Cypher emerged victorious.

Cypher identified a problem that impacts students: wanting quality headphones but not being able to conveniently carry them. They designed a headphone prototype that has soft coverage over the ears, as well as a foldable headband that retracts into the headphones when stored. Team leader Kayla, who dazzled the judges with her quick responses, also won round-trip flights to the US and a full scholarship to attend Clay International’s Innovation Camp for two weeks. Clay Camps host interactive and enjoyable summer camps to cultivate future world leaders.

Urban Family and That’s PRD were media sponsors and proudly attended the event. We sat down with Team Cypher after their victory to learn more about their innovative idea.

UF: Why did you choose to compete in CREATE? We chose to compete in CREATE because we realized that the problem of headphone portability was a relevant issue that many of us were facing. Most of our cohort had two pairs of headphones and we believed that there was a more space- and cost-efficient way to deal with this issue. We thought CREATE would be a good platform to address this and actually try to solve the problem, using a real-life business development model.

UF: What did participating in CREATE teach you? How is it different to other things you do at school?

CREATE is about your products and ideas. It is not just about one subject like maths or physics. Instead, it is about using what you have learnt in school and applying it in a practical way to create something feasible and worthwhile. If there wasn’t a competition like CREATE, we as students would not be thinking about developing an idea in

response to a problem, doing market UF: Do you think CREATE will influence you research and presenting it in a certain way. in the future now and after school?

CREATE allowed us to feel what it would CREATE gave us the opportunity to understand be like to start a real business or create a real the different roles that people play in a team, product. We realized how hard and similar to the different ways people operate in challenging it would be. It made us feel like life and at work. The competition also made us real business people. This is very different understand the importance of taking on more from our daily school lives. CREATE also responsibility and being more engaged in allowed us to learn about teamwork. We each activities outside of school. had different roles and responsibilities. For example, the team leader had to ensure that UF: Congratulations, Kayla! You will soon everyone on the team was motivated and be heading to Seattle! How do feel right inspired to work. As a team, we had to learn now? to be supportive of each other. This included Kayla: I am very excited! I want to thank Clay compromising during the brainstorming International for this opportunity. A big thanks phase and considering all ideas with to Guangzhou Foreign Language School, Ivy enthusiasm. Overall, the team worked very Bridge Education and media sponsors That’s well together and this led us to victory.

PRD and Urban Family. Seattle, here I come!

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EDUCATION

The Ultimate 2019 Summer School Guide Camps and School Programs in the PRD

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o you want your children to make the most out of their summer holidays? For a fantastic learning experience this summer, enroll your children at one of these camps or schools programs (listed by city in alphabetical order) across the PRD.

Shenzhen International School of Nanshan Shenzhen ISNS is pleased to announce that the ISNS summer program will be running from June 17-July 12. ISNS will be offering a wide variety of English-based courses, aimed at developing children of all ages. Students will have the opportunity to participate in both sessions, maximizing student immersion in a fun, English-centered environment. This summer, they will offer two summer camp sessions. Parents are advised to check their child’s schedule carefully before committing to certain dates.

Session 1: June 17-June 28, from 9am-3:30pm Session 2: July 1-12, from 9am-3:30pm Application deadline is June 3, 2019. Bus and lunch services are included in the camp fees. ISNS, CISB and CCSC students will receive a 10% discount. Email inquiries to: summercamp@isnsz.com

Lion’s Keeper Camp In the process of becoming ‘lion guardians,’ students will travel to from Shenzhen to Kenya and come faceto-face with wild animals. They will learn knowledge and survival skills through a series of training sessions, as well as understand and participate in wildlife conservation work. This summer camp aims to help awaken a student's inner love of nature and passion for the environment, in order to help them become a globallyconscious, socially responsible citizen who is perseverant, optimistic and keen to promote public welfare.

Open to students aged 8-16. Camp will run for 11-12 days in total. No language level requirements. Students must be accompanied by parents if they are below 10 years of age. Children over 10 can fly alone. To join, contact: 136 8100 2052

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Information is correct at time of printing. Please contact the school/ learning institution directly for the most up-to-date details and costs.

Merchiston International School Shenzhen Merchiston International School (MIS) is offering a two-week summer boarding camp full of fun, activities and learning for students aged between 7-16, from 30 June-12 July. The summer camp is the ideal study holiday for students looking for an international environment to practice and improve their general English, to learn about British culture, explore personal interests and potentials, to be more independent and sociable as well as to make new friends. There are various courses and activities, such as arts, music, dancing, swimming, ball games and more, along with English lessons.

The camp has been organized by MIS teachers and senior students from our founding school, Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, who will be with the children everyday.

PGA Golf Academies There are three camps on offer during June, July and August to help students aged 6-17 refine their skills in golf. The camps will be held at Mission Hills Resorts in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Haikou.

Let’s Golf: This is a weekly camp that aims to elevate your child’s interest in golf. After an initial assessment, PGA will support development of skills through a group learning environment.

Day students RMB5,050/with accommodation RMB7,860. Recommended age: 6-13. Camps run for five days and four nights, with the opening ceremony held on Mondays each week.

PGA Golf Academy Champions: This intermediate-level camp is for juniors that have the fundamentals but want to take their game to the next level. Juniors will be assessed on the first day and placed into appropriate groups.

Day students RMB6,640/with accommodation RMB9,770. Recommended age: 8-15. Camps run for five days and four nights, with the opening ceremony held on Mondays each week.

PGA Golf Academy Combined: This elite experience is targeted at juniors with high-level golfing experience. PGA are looking for students with a strong desire to play competitively overseas or a goal to turn professional in the future. This camp will be led by the director of golf, Kevin Smeltz.

Day students RMB23,070/with accommodation RMB33,500. Recommended age: 11-17. Camps run for 12 days and 11 nights (10 days for day students), with the opening ceremony held on Monday every two weeks.

To inquire more about the PGA golf academies, please call 755-2802 0888 ext. 88660 or email: pgagolfacademy@pgayouth.cn

30 June-12 July 2019 (13 days/12 nights) at the MIS campus.

Open to students aged between 7-16 (all nationalities are acceptable) Fees: RMB18,000 (MIS students and their friends will enjoy 10% discount). Email freya.yang@merchiston.cn for the application form. A 20% deposit (non-refundable) is payable to reserve a place.

SteamHead and Shenzhen American International School SteamHead and Shenzhen American International School will host a STEM and Literacy Camp for three weeks in June. This camp focuses on reading stories, learning makerspace skills, and then building projects to help the characters in the stories! It’s a fantastic way to integrate literacy with engineering and creative problemsolving. The three-week camp is in English. There will also be a oneweek Chinese language camp starting in July if there are enough students enrolled.

For details, contact WeChat ID: boomtown001 or email steamheadsz@outlook.com

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GUANGZHOU

British School of Guangzhou A range of language, sports, art and musical activities will be held over three weeks from July 1-19. BSG teachers and staff, as well as suitably-qualified external teachers, will run these specially-designed courses in English for children aged 4-12. Children can attend for a period of one, two or three weeks.

One week: RMB4,000; two weeks: RMB6,500; three weeks: RMB8,500. Cancellations and refunds are subject to a RMB500 administration fee and require a minimum of two weeks’ notice. Fees include lunch and the registration fee. All programs are subject to change depending on student numbers and ages. To apply, check https://yoopay.cn/event/63837127

Canadian International School of Guangzhou CIS is excited to offer an energizing and educational two-week junior summer camp for young learners aged 4-10, to be held at the beautiful state-of-the-art CIS campus from July 1-12. Topics such as English, PE and STEAM will be offered.

Fees include lunch and snacks, and transport can be provided for an additional cost.

The camp will run from 9am-3pm. Please contact 020-3999 9920 or email info@cisgz.com for more information.

Guangzhou Nanfang International School

ISA International School of Guangzhou

GNIS and its team of experienced IB-qualified teachers are proud to provide students with a unique program of English Language Acquisition (EAL) and interactive learning designed to increase confidence and independence. Lessons in international etiquette will also be provided.

The ISA International School summer program will provide students with an interactive atmosphere where students can learn native English, develop excellent learning habits and have fun at the same time.

The camp runs from June 20-July 20, from 9am-3pm, for students aged 3 to 16 at the GNIS campus in Tianhe. Transport is payable on a weekly basis at RMB350-500/week). Fees: RMB2,700 for one week / RMB5,300 for two weeks / RMB7,600 for three weeks / RMB9,800 for four weeks. For information, add WeChat ID: GNISCHINA

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The camp runs from July 1-26, from 9am-4pm, for students aged 3 to 14 at the ISA Redtory campus. Snacks are provided in the fees and lunch can be brought from home or purchased from the school canteen for RMB200/week). Transport is payable on a weekly basis at RMB250-350/week).

RMB2,600 for one week / RMB5,000 for two weeks / RMB7,200 for three weeks / RMB9,200 for four weeks. Email admission@isaschool.org or call 020-3703 9193

Trinity International Kindergarten

Singapore School of Guangzhou SSG will hold five summer camps from June 24-July 26. Camps will held at their Favorview Palace campus. Enrolment is open to students of all nationalities.

Mini Camp: Running for four weeks, this camp is for younger students aged 3-6, from 9am-noon. RMB5,000 for four weeks.

English Camp: Running for four weeks, this intensive English camp is for students aged 6-17, from 9am-3pm. RMB8,000 for four weeks.

Sports Camp: Running for two weeks, this day camp offers short training sessions in sports. Basketball training is from 1-3pm, badminton training is from 3pm-5pm and table tennis training is from 1-3pm. RMB4,000 for two weeks.

Art Camp: Running for two weeks, this camp is for students of all ages who love art, from 1pm-3pm. RMB4,000 for two weeks.

Music Camp: Running for two weeks, this camp offers instrumental lessons.

Guitar lessons are from 1-3pm and keyboard lessons are from 3-5pm. RMB4,000 for two weeks.

Exciting news! Trinity International School is offering a fantastic summer camp from July 8- August 2. Open to children aged 2-7 from 9am to 3.15pm at their beautiful Zhujiang New Town campus, this four-week camp will offer plenty of learning opportunities and fun for all. Staffed by the brilliant Trinity team who are true experts in child development and early years education, this camp promises to be a wonderful learning experience. Spaces are limited and filling up quick, so register now!

For information, email admissions@trinitygz.com, add WeChat: TrinityGZ or call 020-8558 3287.

No. 663 Huacheng Dadao, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

Prices include transport to popular compounds around the city. For information and registration, call 186 2012 6334 or 186 2012 6423. WeChat ID: SSGuangzhou

US Consulate Employees Association This summer program runs from June 17-July 5. It is only open to students aged 4*-11, with international passports. Featuring one, two or three-week camps, students will enjoy American-style activities including music, art, reading, games and field trips. It will be held at the American International School of Guangzhou Ersha campus.

RMB2,600/week, extra fees for lunch and transport. *Students aged 4 must be going into kindergarten, be potty-trained and not require naps. For information, email campcanton@yahoo.com or check www.campcanton.com

Utahloy International School of Guangzhou From June 17-July 12, students will enjoy the school’s facilities while learning.

The program includes four weeks of English acquisition and interactive education through art, sports, cooking, music and STEAM projects. Students can join for one, two, three or four weeks.

For fees and other information, email summerschool@uisgz.org

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EDUCATION

EVENTS Reading Experience Day at Guangzhou Library

Global Friendship and Canadian International School Earth Day Recycle Carnival

(Supported by

(Supported by

Green Ants Plogging Carnival (Supported by

and

)

On May 7, the first Reading Experience Day of 2019 was hosted by Guangzhou Library and that’s magazines. About 25 happy students from grade one at the Canadian International School of Guangzhou attended with their teachers. The young students' enjoyed a short tour to experience the library’s lending services and each of them received a permanent library card. Special thanks to everyone for making it such an enjoyable day.

On April 21, Global Friendship (GF) hosted its second Earth Day Recycle Carnival to celebrate Earth Day. GF cooperated with local environmental protection organization Eco Canton, and co-hosted the event with the Canadian International School of Guangzhou.

Families and children participated in the recycling process and learnt about ways to be more environmentally conscious. They recycled unwanted items, enjoyed amazing performances and took part in a lucky draw.

HolaLife, with support of partners, friends and volunteers hosted the first-ever Green Ants Plogging Carnival. Participants went off to plog and encouraged everyone to be tree huggers. Hunter Art Group kept everyone busy with art activities and the Singapore School of Guangzhou led educational games. HolaLife also set up a flea market for people to buy/sell/barter their goods, with proceeds kept or donated towards different charities. Rubbish bins were provided by 92 Recyle for everyone to use.

Urban Family and That's PRD were proud media sponsors. A big thank you to all the participants and sponsors who helped make it such a special day.

Canton Global Academy holds Open Day

Whittle School Leaders Talk Reimagining Education

Singapore School of Guangzhou hosts SSG 'Olympics'

CGA successfully held its an open day on April 18.

Parents of students as well as prospective students enjoyed a day of learning in action. Besides tours to classrooms, they were also treated to an introduction to life at CGA. Information about the CGA core curriculum, STEAM program and Chinese and culture lessons, as well as success stories from the student body, was shared with everyone in attendance.

Whittle School & Studios held a talk on March 30 in Guangzhou, to almost 100 prospective parents.

The school is set to open one of their first campuses this coming fall in Shenzhen. With another Whittle campus also opening at the same time in Washington DC, this PreK-12 educational institution looks to build on the impetus of a new age of learning in one of the key cities in the Greater Bay Area.

The Singapore School of Guangzhou kicked off its annual ‘SSG Olympics’ on April 29. This annual sports day event saw students participate and compete in a variety of sports. The ‘Singa Lions’ (red team) and the ‘Captains’ (green team) battled it out and everyone had a fantastic day! Sports are an integral part of life at SSG and students are regularly encouraged to foster skills in various activities.

International School of Nanshan Shenzhen Hosts the ACAMIS 2019 ELL Conference

Clifford School Celebrates March into Reading Week

CIEO/CIS Early Childhood Educators Conference

Elementary students from Clifford International School enjoyed another successful reading week this year. Students celebrated literacy by dressing up as their favorite book characters. They had fun, literacy-based activities throughout the week, including scary story read-alouds. Most importantly, they pushed themselves to read more every day. In just a week, the entire elementary school read for a combined total of 49,909 minutes! The students can't wait to celebrate reading week next year.

On Saturday April 13, early learning educators from schools under the Canadian International Educational Organization and the International School of Macao came together to share in their passion of teaching young minds. They met with different teachers and learnt from each other, so as to strengthen their teaching community. Everyone who attended the conference had the same goal of providing the best practices to students and the conference was a rousing success.

and

)

On April 26-27, the International School of Nanshan Shenzhen (ISNS) was proud to host the ACAMIS 2019 ELL Conference. Attendance at this conference was the largest to date, with over 120 participants from 35 international schools. This year’s theme was ‘Translanguaging Pedagogy,’ a new approach in English instruction that involves building on students’ bilingualism by using their mother-tongue strategically during instruction to support their language learning. The conference was a success in all areas.

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and

)

This is a collection of stories and poems written by our young writers in the PRD. Enjoy!

A Little Creativity A Week Like No Other

By Park Soh-Yi (Zoe), Grade 5A at Clifford School

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o you enjoy reading? I think reading is very important. During our March into Reading Week, students at Clifford School had plenty of fun participating in activities and reading books. We could earn book bucks and buy books. My favorite activity was decorating bookmarks. Another fun aspect of March into Reading Week was that we had dress-up days! On Monday, we wore whatever we wanted. On Tuesday, everyone came to school in pajamas. Wednesday involved wearing shirts with English words, and Friday (my favorite day) saw everyone dress up as their favorite book character. The winning class of the reading minutes challenge was Grade 4A. They won a pizza party! I think reading week was awesome and I know that everybody enjoyed it.

Reading is a habit what we must engage in regularly as it is very good for us.

Spring is Here

Nature Helps

By Kaiya Jane Palfreyman, Grade 6 at Clifford School

By Phillip, Grade 6 at Clifford School

Spring is here at last I feel the wind on my skin See the blossoms fall

Every bird sings a song Bees ask flowers for honey Ants help each other

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EDUCATION

From The Page To The Screen

9 FILM ADAPTATIONS FROM CLASSIC CHILDREN’S BOOKS

By Natalie Foxwell

Serving as a book and movie combination, we present nine film adaptations of beloved children’s stories. We all know of The Hobbit, Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz, so we won’t go there. Instead, we deliver magical worlds and amazing adventures full of courage and friendship.

While some are whimsical tales, others are challenging stories for children to immerse themselves in. Then, once the last page has been turned, see how the filmmaker’s interpretation has matched your child’s imagination.

The Secret World of Arrietty Ages 6-9 Based on children’s fantasy novel The Borrowers by Mary Norton, The Secret World of Arrietty is an exceptional picture book by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. The story centers around the Clock family who are tiny people living beneath the kitchen floor of an old manor. Everything in their house is ‘borrowed’ from the humans who move about above them. The eponymous character, Arrietty, strikes a friendship with a human boy, which leads her on a magical adventure.

Studio Ghibli, the superb talents behind Ponyo and Spirited Away bring The Secret World of Arrietty to life. This vivid hand-drawn animated film is another masterpiece from this Japanese production studio and delivers a whimsical tale with a friendship and courage at its core.

Bridge to Terabithia

Age 9+

This classic Newbery Medal-winning novel by bestselling author Katherine Paterson is about two lonely sixth grade children, Jess and Leslie, who create a magical kingdom in the woods called Terabithia. As a deep friendship develops, they use their wild imaginations to reign over the world as King and Queen. A tragedy crumbles Jess’s world making this a bittersweet story about courage, grief and understanding the impact childhood friendships can have on our loves; a must read for all children.

Enter the secret world of Terabithia, where giants, ogres and magical creatures abound. This film will tug on everyone’s heartstrings, and you will fall in love with the characters and thoroughly enjoy the journey.

Charlotte’s Web Ages 8-12 First published in 1952, Charlotte’s Web is considered a classic of children’s literature. E.B. White’s novel set on a farm tells the tale of an endearing friendship between the unlikeliest of animals.

With Wilbur the pig’s slaughter set to end his days, Charlotte the spider hatches a plan to save his life by writing emotive messages in her web. Proving his worth, Wilbur survives, further developing his bond with Charlotte. This is a perfect story for all children about love, loss and tolerance.

While many have their preference between the original Charlotte’s Web animation from 1973 or the live action 2006 movie starring Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts, both are a pure joy to watch.

The Chronicles of Narnia Age 8+ The Chronicles of Narnia is a seven-book fantasy series by British author C.S. Lewis. When children are magically transported from the real world to the enchanted land of Narnia, an adventure begins. With mythical beasts, talking animals and a mission to protect the world around them, the series takes readers through Narnia’s history and is a captivating tale of good versus evil.

The movie adaptation of the first book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was released in 2005, and 14 years later, continues to sweep children into a delightful mythical adventure.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox Ages 8-12 The most world’s beloved storyteller, Roald Dahl, has delivered many classics over the years. While the quirky James and the Giant Peach or the endearing The BFG are universal favorites, Fantastic Mr. Fox tells a rapid-fire, quick-witted tale. After outsmarting three dim-witted farmers to ‘take’ supplies and feed his family, Mr. Fox finds himself on the run from their plan to put an end to his stealing.

The action-packed story engages children young and old, as everyone can sympathize with Mr. Fox and his elaborate scheme to dig his way to safety.

Delivered via stop-motion animation through visionary director Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox with its all-star cast of George Clooney, Nicole Kidman and Owen Wilson is pure entertainment. The razor shape dialogue will engage parents and kids – and have everyone trying to figure out the rules to a game of ‘whack-bat.’

The Lorax Ages 6-9 At its core, The Lorax is about caring for the environment and how we must work together to save our planet; an even more prescient message today than when it was written in 1971. Fun and colorful illustrations with whimsical rhymes deliver a story where The Lorax speaks for the trees. Lines such as “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not,” will have children thinking of how we can all live responsibly.

The movie adaption is a bright and quirky delivery around the same environmental message. In the film, we watch one boy’s mission to win the affection of a girl who wants to see a real tree.

This sends him on a quest to find the Lorax, who has the unmistakable voice of Danny de Vito.

Matilda Ages 8-12 Once again from the storytelling charm of Roald Dahl comes the quirky tale of Matilda, a gifted four-year-old girl who is seen as nothing but a nuisance and is treated poorly by her parents.

Matilda falls in love with the local library and teaches herself to read, further infuriating her folks.

The film’s protagonist soon realizes she possesses the power of telekinesis, and proceeds to use her intellect and skills to devise elaborate practical jokes, gaining much satisfaction in righting the wrongs around her.

The 1996 film adaptation is slightly slapstick and thoroughly entertaining. Kids will giggle as they witness Matilda’s pranks come to life, and will celebrate her perseverance as she battles her way to happiness.

A Series of Unfortunate Events Age 9+ Written by author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a little dark but extremely enjoyable. The 13-book series follows the adventures of three young siblings who are left orphaned by a fire in their mansion and sent to live with a scheming relative.

The 2004 film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events stars the consummate entertainer, Jim Carrey, with its eccentric and quirky storyline a perfect vehicle and visual treat that brings together the stories from books one to three. Look out also for a Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris for die-hard fans.

Wonder Age 10+ This beautifully written book by R.J. Palacio goes straight to the heart of every child who appreciates the insight that it takes to be compassionate and kind towards those with physical differences. August ‘Augie’ Pullman, the book’s protagonist, is beset with a facial deformity due to Treacher Collins syndrome. Throughout the book, various family and friends narrate his struggles to attend school and the impact of his condition on the lives of everyone around him. This story will leave an impression on all readers to better understand the role they play in anyone’s journey, and the meaning of genuine friendship.

Augie is superbly portrayed on screen by Jacob Tremblay, and the stellar cast including Julie Roberts and Owen Wilson has us captivated from the beginning. The raw emotions played out on film paint a heartwarming picture of what it means to live a life of dignified courage.

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EDUCATION

These are works of art made by students in the PRD. Enjoy!

Art Attack

By Jacky P, G rade 9 at Inte rnational School of Nan shan Shenzhen

ational

By Ivan C, Grade 7 at Intern en nzh She an School of Nansh

By Jung Yun Seo (Christina), Grade 10 at Clifford School

e Murals by: Rachel C. Triptych Collaborativ W. (G.6), Singwing S. (G.6), Lee H. (G.6), Paolo X. (G.7), Eric L. (G.7), (G.6), Leah Y. (G.7), Kitty .8) from International Wiley G. (G.7), Tiger S. (G enzhen School of Nanshan Sh 46 www.urban-family.com

Get Creative

A Special Keepsake for Mum or Dad

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his page is strictly for kids. If you are a Mummy or Daddy, please look away! Kids, this is a perfect one-of-a-kind craft that you could create and give your Mum or Dad whenever you want to. This is an easy project to make but you will need a little patience for the glue and paint to dry. Let’s get started!

Items Required:

Steps:

• Popsicle sticks • Kids paint and brushes • Egg carton • Strong glue • Green pipe cleaner • Unused buttons • Construction paper • Scissors • Black markers

1. Take some construction paper and cut it into a large rectangle. Apply glue and start pasting some popsicle sticks adjacent to one another, so as to cover the entire space. Wait until it dries.

2. Now, paint the popsicle canvas with your desired colors and let it dry. Mixing of any two colors gives a great look.

3. While the paint dries on the popsicle sticks, cut tiny compartments from the egg carton. Cut them into strips, resembling small flowers as shown in the picture.

4. Get creative and make your flowers colorful. Make sure the color you choose goes well with the popsicle canvas. Red or pink are usually good options.

5. Once the flowers are dry, paste the buttons in the center to make it look more appealing.

6. For the flower pot and sun, take construction paper, trace and cut out your desired shapes.

7. Now, it’s time to decorate our canvas! A strong glue works best here. Make sure you have someone older to help you if you need.

8. Paste the egg carton flowers onto the canvas on the top as shown in the picture. For branches and leaves, use green pipe cleaners. At the bottom of the branches, paste the flower pot. The sun can be glued on at the top, as shown in the picture.

9. Using a black marker, write a special note to Mum or Dad on the empty space.

10. Present it to Mum or Dad. Enjoy the hugs!

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FOOD & FUN

Family Getaways Exploring Hainan Island

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nown as ‘China’s Hawaii,’ Hainan is popular for its sun-kissed beaches, tropical weather all year round, mountain greenery, clean air and open-air hot spring resorts. However, it wasn’t always like this. Colloquially known as the ‘gates of hell’, poets, politicians and misfits would be banished to the island’s forests, if exile was their punishment. Fishing boats lined the seas, naval bombardments were commonplace, ecological decline plagued the island and isolation was the norm. But not anymore.

Spread over 35,000 square meters, Hainan has been transformed in the last few decades or so, attracting scores of tourists from around the world. Xinhua reports that Hainan welcomed over 76 million local and overseas visitors in 2018, up by almost 12% year-on-year. A possible reason for the increase in numbers is a recent policy aimed at reform and boosting local tourism. Foreign citizens of 59 qualifying countries are now eligible to visit Hainan and travel around the island for 30 days without a visa, on condition that they book tours through registered travel agencies.

The most popular spot in Hainan is undoubtedly Sanya, and it is high on many bucket lists for several reasons. Known to have the greatest density per square meter of luxury and hotels resorts in China, it is now home to over 400 of them. That’s right, folks. You won’t be starved for choices at all. However, even though it is just 90 minutes by flight from both Guangzhou and Shenzhen, it does appear that many people in the region have yet to discover this tropical gem. With summer holidays sneaking up on us, you might want to head over to Sanya with family or friends for a warm swim in the sea and a fresh coconut to accompany your seafood feast.

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Spotlight on Sanya The Weather

The Food

Akin to tropical getaways like Hawaii or Phuket, the island enjoys a daily average temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. Bring your sunnies and a floppy hat, you’ll need ‘em.

Fish, crabs and more, all year round. And chicken, the free-range variety, of course. From five-star restaurants to street teahouses, Sanya has a culinary secret at just about every corner. The locals love to head to Chunyuan Seafood Square when night falls for delicious fresh-ofthe-boat seafood caught by local fishermen, or to La Floret where they sit outdoors, eat and enjoy live music.

The coolest spot in town, however, is Bread Street Kitchen and Bar, by famed chef Gordon Ramsay.

Located at the Atlantis Sanya, here’s a delectable weekend brunch, kids’ cooking classes and plenty of date night mojo for Mum and Dad.

The Attractions There are beaches, rainforests, parks and plenty to explore. A word of caution for those seeking to explore on their own: stay clear of certain attractions as they do get very crowded and are known for overcharging. If you are keen to visit, seek help from hotel concierges or check with tour operators before.

The Beaches Need we say more? At almost 22 kilometers, Haitang Bay is perhaps the most dazzling of Sanya’s many bays. The beaches here are pristine all year round. A word of advice to those choosing hotels in the area: call them in advance to see if the beach is open for swimming. The well-established Yalong Bay is also a top pick for families, especially those who love water sports and want to catch a wave or two. At 7.5 kilometers, the crescent-shaped beach – especially its public areas – can get crowded on weekends. You may have to spend a few minutes sourcing out the right spot to put your beach towel down. For visits, weekdays are usually better. Alternatively, stay at a resort or hotel with private beach access.

The Shopping Duty free, anyone? China Duty Free (CDF) Mall is touted to be the world’s largest duty-free shopping center. Costing a cool USD800 million, it is noticeable as soon as you head to Haitang Bay. Whilst the architecture is magnificent and major designer labels are featured, prices are not that reasonable. If you want an affordable option, stick to local boutiques at the outdoor La Floret Mall at Yalong Bay.

The Hotels With plenty on offer, budget-conscious travelers as well those seeking to splurge will not be disappointed. From treehouse villages in steep mountains to luxurious beachfront villas with tailored meals, there is enough to go around. Need some exciting options to house the family? Turn the page for two fantastic resorts that families with kids of all ages will love.

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Tried and Tested Family-Friendly Hotels and Resorts in Sanya When it comes to family-friendly hotels and resorts, Sanya has a vast selection that is bound to please. Here are our top picks. Let the holidays begin and don’t forget your swimsuits!

Palace Resort and Spa Yalong Bay There are a number of hotels and resorts in Yalong Bay catering to families, but many of them will cost you an arm and a leg. Palace Resort Yalong Bay offers fantastic value for money, with its luxurious rooms and plenty of amenites to enthrall both adults and kids.

The Location

The Beach

Conveniently located in the heart of Yalong Bay near La Floret Shopping Mall, Art Sanya and the largest cinema in the area, this resort is just a couple of minutes away from the pristine waters of the beach. Rest assured, if you need more than just the sand and sea, there’s plenty in the area to keep you busy. Given the size of the resort, you may have to rely on its fleet on golf carts to whiz you around.

Yalong Bay is simply breathtaking. The hotel is not directly connected to the beach, so you will have to walk for two minutes to the heart of the action. Parachuting, jet skiing and other water sports are well-priced (bargain as vendors do give a good deal to families).

The Food From local Hainan-style dishes to a lavish buffet setting with over 100 dishes and with a live aquarium as your backdrop, there’s plenty to choose from. Opt for the fresh seafood and make sure that the young ones check out the kid’s selection. Delicious!

The Rooms and the View The modern suites are sleek and elegant, powered by the convenience afforded by technology. There are 479 guest rooms, 74 lakeview suites each occupaying more than 80 square meters, and 55 standalone villas. Families of four or more should opt for a family villa, as the balcony opens up to a private pool and patio that is perfect for swimming all day, anytime. Rooms are very wellpriced and come equipped with plenty of added services (private butler's anyone?). Located between the mountains and sea, the resort – with its chic white-topped villas – is calmly nestled in the midst of a lake with panoramic landscapes and beautiful views that exude a feel of blue-and-white Santorini.

The Play Areas and the Pool The indoor kid’s club covers an area of over 650 square meters, with six play zones including a castle, bumper cars, an aquarium and climbing spots. The parent-child interaction zone offers plenty of daily activities, and you can sign up for them anytime.

And yes, the pool. Slides, a pool bar and and a nine-meter pirate ship awaits the young and young at heart. The pool is perhaps one of the most interactive on the Yalong Bay strip and the resort attracts a repeat guest following who love the lavish facilities.

Palace Resort & Spa Yalong Bay Sanya is located at No.14 Longhai Lu, Yalong Bay National Resort District. Check www.palaceresortyalongbay.com or email info.ph. syx@huayuhotels.com

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Atlantis Sanya One of just two Atlantis resorts in the world, this RMB11 billion ocean-themed development occupies a space of 540,000 square meters on the beautiful stretch of Haitang Bay. This awardwinning resort has entertainment, family fun (read: one of the world’s largest water parks) and luxury at its core. Managed by Kerzner International, the lavish resort developer behind the original Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas and Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, this resort is massively impressive. And judging by its occupancy, it’s hit the nail on the head with its wholesome, family-friendly formula. And just so you know, it’s a casino-free hotel. That’s right, folks. This is where you come to swim and slide, indulge in good food and bond with loved ones.

The Rooms

The Attractions

Featuring 1,314 guestrooms and suites in a majestic tower that stands at 226 meters, this mammoth hotel is assertively flashy.

The ceilings are high, the lobby is majestic and the service is on point.

At Atlantis, the list is endless! The Aquaventure Waterpark is the first in China that is open every single day of the year. Featuring 34 exhilarating rides, the ‘Leap of Faith’ that sees you drop 25.1 meters vertically through a glass tunnel of sharks at a speed of over 20 meters per second. The kid’s zone, aptly ‘Splashers,’ features smaller slides, huge tipping baskets and climbing frames. The 1.8 kilometer ‘Rapids River’ ride is also highly recommended.

A word of advice: the park is huge and opens from 10-6pm, so plan your time wisely or better yet, spread your time at the waterpark over a couple of days. Access to the waterpark is complimentary for hotel guests (payable for outside guests), making a stay at the resort an excellent choice. Resort pools open till 10pm, so once you’re done with the park, head there to swim the evening away. Don't forget to order some delicious food and drinks from the poolside’s Tikki Lounge and Bar!

Given its ocean theme, The Lost Chambers Aquarium is a glass maze of marine life, housed in 17.5 million liters of sea water. When night falls, walk over to C Show Theater, a 1,800-seat space where synchronized swimmers, acrobats and the likes put on a mesmerizing show that kids will absolutely love. Watch out for the walking polar bears and life-sized frogs!

Dolphin Cay is a state-of-the-art marine protection, education center and conservation facility where guests can meet, play and learn more about these friendly animals.

The Dining Options Food, food and more food are featured at the resort’s 21 dining options. Popular choices are steaks at Bread Street Kitchen and Bar by the famed Gordon Ramsay and Crab Kitchen for its Singapore chili crabs and laksa, Saffron all-day dining features eight live cooking stations, including jianbing.

The selection is so comprehensive, you’d wish you had an extra tummy.

There’s plenty more too, such as chances to dive or snorkel with fish in the Ambassador Lagoon or if you prefer, a relaxing time at the spa or a walk along the beach at the resort’s doorstep. Got kids? Miniversity is perfect for small and big kids, with lots of dedicated play spaces featuring toys and games from reputed brands like Lego, Fisher Price, Hot Wheels and Barbie. The mini cinema and the video game zone are also extremely popular. The best part?

Miniversity opens early and closes late, so head over after breakfast or dinner for some enjoyable family times.

Atlantis Sanya is located at Haitang Bay, Sanya. Check www.atlantissanya.com or email info@atlantissanya.com

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Our Family Favorites Shenzhen Families Share Their Top Tips

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uiz and Chris, both Brazilians, got married in 1993. At that time, if someone would have told them that they would have four children and move to China, they would have laughed at them. But here they are, living in China for the last eight years. Fernando, the eldest son who is 29, studied at Shenzhen University for two years and has now returned to Brazil. Mariana, 22, and Marcos, 20, graduated from QSI Shenzhen and went to university in Australia. Eduardo, 16, still lives with the family in Shenzhen and studies at QSI Shenzhen. He is already applying to university in Australia, where he will join his siblings who are still living there. Luiz works for IBM and Chris has been helping people as a life, relationship and career coach since 2015. China feels like home for them and, if they must choose, it will remain like that for many more years. Urban Family sat down with Chris to learn more about their favorites.

Favorite Restaurant in Shenzhen

The Terrace, for sure. We are emotionally attached to this restaurant/bar as we have been hanging out there since we arrived in Shenzhen. Leon, the owner, and the awesome Filipino band that performs every night, have become friends over the years. They have the best Thai food in town and a big balcony from where we can see the lights of SeaWorld and enjoy the fantastic Shenzhen weather.

Terrace: 201, SeaWorld Square, 32 Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen

Favorite Summer Getaway

Brazil! We have been spending the summers there for eight years. Our parents live in Rio de Janeiro at Copacabana beach, the most famous tourist spot in the country. Every summer, we enjoy the two things that we value the most in life: our family and the

ocean! During summer in China, it is winter in Brazil. However, the weather is still warm, making it suitable to swim in the waters of the Atlantic. Our second favorite summer getaway is the Philippines. We have been there three times, visiting beautiful Boracay, Bohol and Oslo. We love Oslo as we get a chance to swim with whale sharks.

Favorite Activity in Shenzhen

My favorite activity is yoga. I practice three to five times a week at Yoga Summit.

Yoga helps to build a beautiful body and a healthy mind. What I do as a life coach is much like what yoga does for me. For example, if you try to touch your toes with your hands and keep pushing, you will hurt your back. But, if you extend your muscles and lower your upper body to touch your toes, you will achieve your goal. Isn’t it the same with life? I always ensure that I give time to myself and respect my limits, as the possibilities myself to improve are endless.

Yoga Summit: 1188 Wanghai Lu (in front of Hilton Hotel), Shenzhen

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Favorite Spot for a Family Outing

Shenzhen Bay Park is our favorite place for a family outing. The park has 13 kilometers of green areas along the southern coast of Shenzhen Bay. We can see part of it from our balcony and it is so beautiful. This is our favorite place for our evening walk, to run, or to cycle. The view of the bridge connecting Shenzhen to Hong Kong at night – with all its lights – is breathtaking. And like several other spots in Shekou, we have witnessed its construction and feel part of it.

Shenzhen Bay Park: Binhai Avenue, near Wanghai Lu, Nanshan District, Shenzhen

Favorite Family Movie

It is not easy to find a movie that everyone really enjoys because we have several age groups in our household. But what unites us in front of the television are the series that we all choose to watch together, like The Office (US version) and Mother Family. When we are together, we always end up choosing a series we all love.

Our Family Favorites Guangzhou Families Share Their Top Tips

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016 was a big year for the Starghills.

They moved from Ohio to Guangzhou for their first adventure living abroad.

Their family, consisting of Rob, Rhonda, Rachel (11-years-old) and Robby (9-years-old), moved in support of Rob's role as a chemical engineer for Procter & Gamble. Two years after the big move, they have settled into life in China. In fact. they have enjoyed it so much that the kids want to stay an extra year! Urban Family spoke to Rhonda to learn about their family favorites.

Favorite Restaurant in Guangzhou

Before we moved to Guangzhou, our family would eat out every Friday night, rotating which family member chose the restaurant.

No one felt like cooking after a long week of work and school, so it was always a winwin. When we moved to China, this was an easy tradition to keep alive. Although we don't care for local or regional Chinese cuisines, we've been pleasantly surprised at the quality of Western options available in Guangzhou. Our favorite for special occasions is Mercato – you can't go wrong with them as everything tastes fantastic! We also recently tried Ganea Kitchen Fairy Tales and vowed to return after a fabulous meal and friendly service.

Favorite Summer Getaway

Every summer, we return home to the US to visit friends and family and escape Guangzhou's heat. We have family all over the mid-western and eastern United States, so we are always on the move to make sure we see everyone before heading back to Guangzhou. Every other school holiday, we've taken the opportunity to explore a different country near China or other cities in China. We've admittedly loved every vacation, making is hard to pick a favorite!

But, in a close vote, it was a tie between Bali and New Zealand. In Bali, Nusa Dua's beaches were therapeutic, Waterbom Bali water park was a memorable fun-filled day and our rafting adventures in Ubud were hard to beat. In New Zealand, we were awed by the star gazing at Mt. John University, amazed by the scenery in Lake Tekapo and loved learning about the Maori culture in Rotorua.

Favorite Activity in Guangzhou

Tianhe District, Guangzhou

With busy kids, it's sometimes hard to find something everyone enjoys. We try to fit in activities that expose us to different parts of Chinese culture mixed in with ones that are familiar. Our go-to in Guangzhou, when we just want to have some simple family time, is bowling. The alley isn't fancy, but it is convenient and we have fun every time!

Ganea Kitchen Fairy Tales: Shop J16-10 Poly Tianyue Hua

Dashjie Bowling: 2/F Dashijie Bowling Center, Tiyu

Yuan, Gong Yu Er Qi, Haizhu District, Guangzhou

Zhongxin, No. 299 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

Mercato: Unit 802, 8/F K11 Art Mall, No. 6 Zhuiang Xi Lu,

Favorite Spot for a Family Outing

We try to have family outings every now and then. It is not easy to get everyone on the same page. Despite initial reluctance, everyone is usually happy in the end. Since moving to Guangzhou, we've hiked to waterfalls, cruised the Pearl River, visited museums and tried our hand at cooking classes. One of our most memorable family outings in Guangzhou, however, was when we attended a performance of Stomp at the Guangdong Performing Arts Center. We all loved the show and are always looking for more performances at the Performing Arts Center, Xinghai Concert Hall or Guangzhou Opera House.

Favorite Family Movie

We are a family with varied interests, so finding commonality can be difficult.

We often head to IGC Mall to the catch a movie, but inevitably one family member is more excited than another regarding the selection. With that said, hands down, our favorite movie that we have seen recently is Black Panther. It had something for each of us – superheroes, a love story, action scenes, strong female characters – you name it, Black Panther had it. We even traveled to Hong Kong to catch it before it released in China. The fictional country of Wakanda featured in the movie holds a special place in our hearts. Wakanda forever!

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FOOD & FUN

Coming Together for a Common Cause CTC Gives Back to Children of Zhuhai Interviewed by Lena Gidwani

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here is a saying by a famous man: “Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have farreaching effects.” Indeed, the actions of one can make a huge difference.

Mark Clayton, from Hexham in the northeast of England, is one such man. Mark arrived in Guangzhou in 2005. Little did he know what one day, he would make such a difference and be a 2019 Peace Laureate, receiving the Sino-Phil Asia International Peace Award in the field of philanthropy.

Mark’s story is like many others who are keen to help others less fortunate than him. In 2011, he became an integral part of the founding and growth of a charity organization called Come Together Community (CTC). The charity was founded by a group of like-minded expats who wanted to motivate and inspire people to give back to the community they call home. CTC is now a fully-registered non-profit organization in Zhuhai. Each year, CTC hosts the Come Together Charity Music Festival, bringing people together from all cultures and walks of life to celebrate music while also raising funds for charity. What makes CTC stand out is that it is dedicated to transparency. Now in its eighth year, CTC has raised over USD$250,000 transparently to help thousands of underprivileged school children, orphans and children living with autism in Zhuhai.

UF: What does charity mean to you?

To me, it means a way to give back and to help those less fortunate. I’ve gained a lot of advantages in my career from moving to China when I did and at the young age I did. Given my ability now to be able to give back, I feel that I should do what I can to help others. Seeing how the funds that we raise makes such a difference and helps others is the highlight of my year.

The entire community comes together to give and we are truly making a difference.

UF: Why did you start this charity?

In 2011, we started the charity as a one-off event – a music festival – to raise money for a widow and, at time of passing, the unborn daughter of a good friend of ours and a prominent music figure in the local community. The event was a huge success, raising RMB127,000 for the family. The following year, we wanted to do another charity music event. Knowing we couldn’t raise money for the same family again, we decided that we wanted to give back to the wider local community that had welcomed us to China and allowed us to make it our home. We found a local children’s charity who were willing to work with our demanded levels of transparency and so the first Come Together Charity Music Festival was born in 2012. That year, we raised a small but helpful RMB15,000. Since then, CTC has grown in professionalism, awareness and magnitude, always holding transparency at our heart. We realized that to be truly transparent and to attract larger donations, we had to become official. On July 7, 2015, we successfully registered CTC as an non-profit organization in Zhuhai. At the 7th Come Together Charity Music Festival in 2018, we raised RMB359,736.77, after deducting all amounts raised after expenses.

UF: How has the money raised helped children in need?

The money goes towards two uses. The first is helping underprivileged school children and orphans with school-related fees and sustenance. To achieve this, we work with a local children’s charity to perform due diligence in the poorest areas on Zhuhai, to find those genuinely in difficult situations and unimaginable hardship. For example, this

could be children who may have lost parents and live with a single grandparent on a government allowance, meaning they lack funds for stationery, school bus fees and basic necessities. The second use is funding programs aimed at helping children living with autism, and children with developmental or learning conditions. The aim is to give them training and skills that can help them with social interaction, and in getting and holding down a job when they enter the workforce in later life.

All the programs that we fund go through a rigorous application procedure where every detail is meticulously checked and verified.

Classes include robotics, skating and games for coordination and social interaction. Our largest and proudest accomplishment is that we are the sole contributor to the Zhuhai Autism Center, which is run by the Zhuhai Autism Society. This after-school center provides a safe space for children living with autism to interact with and be supported by trained supervisors, allowing their parents to hold down full-time jobs and generate income. For more serious cases, the center provides full-time, hands-on assistance to parents and their children.

UF: What future plans does CTC have, and how can people or companies contribute?

We will continue to organize the annual Come Together Charity Music Festival. This year, it is provisionally set for Saturday, November 16. As we continue to build up infrastructure, we hope to include an annual spring or summer event too, likely in sports instead of music.

People can contribute by donating to CTC at any time of the year and there is no such thing as a small donation – any amount is helpful!

You can also volunteer to help when we host events.

Companies can also become an official sponsor, as CTC is a registered charity and can provide official charity receipts.

By following CTC's social media channels and sharing our posts to raise awareness, both people and companies can help CTC continue to do what we do for the children of Zhuhai.

The 8th Annual Come Together Charity Music Festival will be held on Saturday November 16, 2019. To learn more about the CTC (NGO No. 52440400336395704P), please contact info@ctcommunity.org

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The Wizard of Oz

Family-Friendly Musical Comes to Guangzhou Edited for brevity by Lena Gidwani, with special thanks to Tristin Zhang

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spectacular celebration of the classic 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz is a rejuvenated, extravagant live rendition that is bound to enthrall audience with its gorgeous sets, musical scores and special effects. For those of us who love this whimsical story, be sure to catch the show as it travels down the yellow brick road to the Guangzhou Opera House. Urban Family interviewed Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow, who are all excited to gather on the big stage to take us over the rainbow in the fantastic touring production.

UF: Hello Tin Man! Welcome to China!

What scene from the musical do you feel you shine best in as Tin Man? Tin Man: The Tin Man shines best when he is first introduced to the audience. You find out his back story and how he becomes the Tin Man. He is a sentimental, loving and caring being who desires to have a heart. He later realizes that he already possesses all of the qualities a heart brings. He also has a spectacular song and dance introduction that is a classic Broadway style number, tap dance included!

UF: That is so true! Besides your intricate costume, what is the biggest challenge performing in this musical?

Cowardly Lion: I really don’t have any other big challenges besides the costume. I think because the costume is so big, heavy and warm, it makes it more physically demanding. This plays into you having to work on your stamina to make sure that you have enough physical and mental strength to get through the whole show, because you are sweating and exerting a lot of the physical energy.

UF: Scarecrow, we can’t wait to see you perform on the big stage. From seeing some initial scenes, we’ve noticed a spark between Dorothy and you. Does Dorothy perhaps fancy your character?

Scarecrow: The Scarecrow loves Dorothy! He would do anything for her. His primary existence is to help and protect her. He wants her to be happy. Hunk, the farm hand, has similar feelings but because Kansas is not a

world of fantasy, but a world of reality, he has other responsibilities and duties he must carry out. I like to think that the Scarecrow is everything Hunk, the farmhand wishes he could be for Dorothy.

UF: What we can all learn from your character?

Scarecrow: I think and hope that the audience learns that that we all are capable of more than what we believe. What makes us special, what makes us different, makes us stronger and will often surprise us if we let it. I love the Scarecrow because he is filled with such joy. He experiences the world with bright colors and although he does not know he even has the ability to “think”, it is his innocence and love for his friends that makes him one of the most intelligent characters in the show.

The Wizard of Oz plays at the Guangzhou Opera House from May 13- 26. Tickets can be purchased on http://www.gzdjy.org/piao/4/4190.html

UF: Tin Man, do you think you might find love here in China?

Tin Man: You never know where love can strike you! I am thrilled to explore the beautiful country of China and have the chance for China to steal my heart!

UF: Howdy, Cowardly Lion! Bert Lahr's original Cowardly Lion costume from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz sold for over USD3 million at a New York City auction in 2014. How does it feel to be in the skin of a character with traits that almost anyone can relate to?

Cowardly Lion: Thanks for the welcome! Indeed, it is an amazing experience to play the Cowardly Lion! It seemed like a big task at first to take on such an iconic role, but then you find out that the character is relatable, an that is because at some point of life, we all feel fear and we all need a little courage.

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Tips For a Healthier Day Get Fit For Summer

By Lorraine Li

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ith summer around the corner, getting back to the daily grind is a must for that perfect summer body. The next time you’re tempted to beat yourself up over a workout you’ve just missed, ditch the guilt and try a few of these tips for an equally healthy day.

Treat Yourself to a Day of Clean Eating Our bodies are constantly healing and recreating cells from the materials we supply it with: our diet. Consuming foods that are nutrient-rich and high in quality will translate equally to the new cells that make up our skin, muscles and every other part of our body. Start off with a day of clean eating for great results.

Cut Out Refined Sugars

Be particularly careful to avoid processed products, in particular those use words like ‘low calorie,’ ‘diet,’ ‘no sugar added’ or ‘sugar free’. More often than not, these products contain additives and artificial sugars that can be harmful to our health. If you need something sweet, choose natural options such as raw, organic honey or whole fresh fruit.

Give Processed Foods and Simple Carbohydrates a Miss

Stick to foods made with fresh ingredients and skip the items that come readily packaged from supermarkets and retail stores. If you’re consuming carbohydrates, try to swap out pastas, white bread or white rice for complex carbs and gluten-free options like brown or black rice, buckwheat soba noodles, vermicelli noodles and non-wheat products. Not only are these choices much higher in nutrient value and fiber, they also won’t break down into sugars the way that simple carbs will. Brown and black rice also contain B vitamins which are great for your liver and natural cleansing.

Choose Foods that Are High in Nutrient Value, not Just Low in Calories

Eat the rainbow. You’ve heard this before, but that’s because it is key when it comes to getting a variety of nutrients. Think of nutrientrich foods as anti-aging and beautifying creams. A soup made of bright beets and colorful root vegetables or a salad filled with beautifully dark, fibrous greens is the same as the anti-wrinkle cream you put on when you feel like your skin is dry or tired.

Nutrients moisturize and nourish your body from the inside-out, and dictate the quality of regenerated cells. If your diet lacks nutrient quality and hydration, so will your skin, your hair, your organs, muscle tone and so on. A diet low in nutrients starts to show externally, particularly if combined with an unbalanced lifestyle. No amount of exercise can ever undo the effects of a poorquality diet. The color pigments in different fruits and vegetables

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hold the amazing nutrients that our bodies need. The brighter and more colorful a natural food is, the richer in nutrients it will usually be, and each color holds its own unique set of benefits. Make your favorite nutrient color set is dark green. Foods in this group are filled with fiber, low in calories and packed full of vitamin C, A, K and calcium, all of which are great for fighting aging and the damaging effects of pollution and our environment.

Take a Break from Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are not only incredibly high in sugar and empty calories, they also contain harmful toxins that have been linked to various health issues and diseases. Whilst some studies show that the occasional glass of red wine can provide benefits, it never hurts to give your body a day off from drinking.

Make Hydration a Priority

Two liters or more a day is a good amount of water to aim for. If you find it hard to drink plain water, try adding lemon or drinking noncaffeinated teas, unflavored sparkling water or soda water. Without enough water in our system to carry out toxins and waste, our bodies would literally break down as a result of our own, poisonous metabolic waste. Water is incredibly important for the functioning of every part of our makeup. Drink as much water as you can, as often as you can. If possible, it’s also great to limit the amount of caffeine you are drinking. For every standard coffee, take in two extra glasses of water.

Give your Mental Health a Workout

Reading is a great way to develop a healthier and more balanced mindset. There are many inspirational books and articles out there that cover gratitude, self-growth and a range of spiritual and wellness topics. Often, we forget how important our mental health is. And although you may not suffer from a diagnosed mental illness, the nature of modern living means that most of us cannot avoid experiencing unnecessary stress, anxiety or feelings of sadness from time to time. Allocating even as little as five minutes of your day to work on your mindset does wonders. Plenty of studies show that the mind-body connection is strong and that our physical and mental health are often one and the same thing.

Meditation and breathing are also amazing for the purpose of achieving a calmer and clearer mind. If you don’t have time to read or know how to meditate, try listening to a quick inspirational podcast in the car, or a guided meditation for a few minutes before bed. You’ll be amazed how effective a few minutes spent doing this can be on your mindset and mood. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are some popular choices. For self-growth and inspiration, read A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle or listen to Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations podcast. For quick guided meditations, listen to the Meditation Oasis podcast by Mary and Richard Maddux.

French Cuisine Made Easy Slow-Cooked Foie Gras in Red Wine and Fruit, with Mango Puree

By Chef Tan, LN Garden Hotel, Nansha Guangzhou

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oie gras (French for ‘fatty liver’) is a delicacy in French cuisine. When cooked well, a pan-seared foie gras is the pièce de résistance. Chef Tan, from LN Garden Hotel Nansha Guangzhou, shares a creative dish that is bound to be a sensation with one and all. This slow-cooked foie gras in red wine comes with a light, fruity fragrance that is suitable for this time of the year. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves six) • 800g of foie gras, sliced • 5 strawberries • 10 blueberries • 1 apple, sliced • 1 bergamot pear, sliced • 1 bottle of red wine • 50g of mango, minced • 20g of mango, cut into cubes • 100ml of Japanese soy sauce • 100ml of Mirin • Additional spices/seasoning: cinnamon, chive, ginger, myrcia • Salt and sugar to taste • Micro herbs, edible flowers and candied walnuts, to garnish

Method of Preparation • Mix salt, cinnamon, myrcia, chive and ginger powder in some boiling water. Remove from flame after a few minutes.

• Slice foie gras into 100g slabs. You should have eight pieces. Using a toothpick, prick some holes into the pieces. Put the pieces in the hot water pot. Allow it to cool. Remove it when the water has cooled down.

• In another pot over a low flame, slow cook some red wine. After a few minutes, add chopped strawberries, blueberries, sliced apples, sliced bergamot pear, Japanese soy sauce and mirin. Remove when the fruit has shriveled and the liquid is about half the original amount. Remove from flame.

• Soak the pieces of foie gras in the wine and fruit mixture for 48 hours, in the fridge at 0 to 5 degrees Celsius.

• In a bowl, add sugar and minced mango. Boil it till it becomes a puree. Keep aside till it cools down • On a beautiful plate, arrange some micro herbs. Put sliced foie gras over it. Spoon and spread some mango puree on either side of the plate. Add walnuts and edible flowers, arranging it neatly.

A Tested Tip Passion fruit is also another good choice for sour fruit lovers. Enjoy your foie gras with these seasonal flavors by adding it next to the mango puree. You can also add some soft cheese and sprinkle it with pistachios to add flavor, texture and crunch.

Special thanks to Chef Tan and LN Garden Hotel, Nansha Guangzhou for this recipe.

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EVENTS

GZ EVENTS

May 17

Bach’s Six Brandenburg Concertos Led by Danish harpsichordist Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Concerto Copenhagen will perform Bach’s complete Brandenburg Concertos with original baroque settings in Guangzhou. This masterpiece is regarded as the pinnacle in the history of baroque concertos, and is among the most universally admired of all Bach’s works. Classical music lovers, make sure you don’t miss out.

May 15-26

Fri, May 17, 8pm; RMB180-680. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 越秀区二沙岛晴波路33号星海音乐厅 (ticket-easy.cn)

The Wizard of Oz Musical Based on the 1939 namesake film, musical The Wizard of Oz has been captivating audiences of all ages since opening in 2011, when the familiar movie characters were put on stage to tell a time-tested fantasy through music. Pop and rock music giants such as Pink Floyd, Metallica and Madonna have all saluted the author of the original book with their music. This month, the original Broadway version arrives in Guangzhou. Come meet Dorothy, Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and other wonderful figures somewhere over the rainbow.

Tue-Sun, May 15-26, 2.30pm/7.30pm; RMB80-980. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 天河区珠江西路1号广州大剧院 (247tickets.com)

May 18

AmCham Spring Ball Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: AmCham South China’s Spring Ball, which will be held on May 18 and is titled ‘The Greatest Show.’ If you have never attended one of AmCham’s fantastic events, you’ve been seriously missing out. Their events are famous across the Greater Bay Area for their impressive performances, prestigious attendees and delightful food and wine. It’s guaranteed to be a blockbuster night, due in part to the fact it is being held at the always-fabulous LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou. The Spring Ball is also the perfect chance to mingle with the who’s who of the Guangzhou expat community, rub shoulders with local business leaders and, heck, you might even meet someone special there!

(One member of the That's PRD team, who we’ll leave unnamed, actually met her husband at an AmCham event).

Over the past 20 years, the Russian State Ballet Theater has remained one of the leading ballet companies in Russia, enjoying international acclaim. Its repertoire includes masterpieces of classical ballet as well as the best examples of modern choreography. With its elaborate costumes, vivid set and breathtaking stunts, Russia State Ballet’s Swan Lake promises audiences a world-class experience.

Sat, May 18, 7pm; RMB980/1,280. LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 越秀区环市东路368号广州花园酒店 (thmart.com.cn)

Wed-Fri, May 29-31, 8pm; RMB180-880. Guangdong Arts Theater, 1229 Guangzhou Dadao Zhong, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 天河区广州大道中1229号广东艺术剧院 (247tickets.com)

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May 29-31

Swan Lake by Russian State Ballet

Submit your event listings to uf.prd@urbanatomy.com

June 1 Until May 31

Alexandro Querevalú: The Last of the Mohicans

A graduate from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, painter Xu Weibo is displaying a selection his artwork at Kui Yuan this month. The exhibition, titled Eyes on Fire, showcases Xu’s works on the subject of – you guessed it – ‘fire.’ Visitors can expect to see raging fire like never before, immortalized in a diversity of artistic techniques and through multiple angles and media.

Is imitation the highest form of flattery… or appropriation of the sacred?

Alexandro Querevalú, born in Lima, Peru, and emigrating to Poland at 18, is firmly in the former camp. Dressing in the costume of Native American tribes, he performs earnest and soulful renditions of North America’s indigenous music. You’ll either resonate with the versatility, eloquence and emotion he expresses, or feel like shouting at him to take off the damn headdress.

Eyes on Fire Painting Exhibition

Tue-Sun until May 31, 11am-8pm; free. Kui Yuan Gallery, 9 Xuguyuan Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 越秀区恤孤院路9号逵园艺术馆

Sat, June 1, 7.30pm; RMB180-580. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 天河区珠江西路1号广州大剧院 (gzdjy.org)

All Month

Healthy Afternoon Tea At Grand Hyatt Guangzhou’s Guanxi Lounge, a simple, delicious and healthconscious afternoon tea awaits. Be sure to try one of the establishment’s freshly squeezed juices for refreshment.

Daily all month, 2.30-5pm; RMB298 plus 15%. Guanxi Lounge, 12 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 天河区珠江新城珠江西路12号广州富力君悦大酒店 22楼 (020-8396 1234)

All Month

Zongzi Gift Box In the spirit of the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival, Langham Place, Guangzhou has prepared two unique zongzi gift boxes, each containing two tasty dumplings. Packaged in a red gift box featuring a Manchurian-style window design, both of these zongzi boxes are ideal gifts for friends and family over the festival. The Langham Place’s zongzi gift boxes are available for order from May 1 and for pickup between May 20 and June 6 at Ming Court. Guests can also place an order via the hotel’s official WeChat (ID: LanghamGuangzhou).

All month. Ming Court, Langham Place, Guangzhou, 638 Xingang Dong Lu, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 海珠区新港东路 638 号 (020-8916 3588)

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EVENTS

GZ EVENTS

Submit your event listings to uf.prd@urbanatomy.com

Ongoing

June 16

Choose from a wide selection of dim sum items, as well as crispy tacos, and pair them with two glasses of house wine or cocktails at Roof Top Bar’s popular happy hour. Set against the backdrop of the Pearl River, enjoy a romantic night-time view while listening to live music, which is performed nightly from 7pm till late.

It is shiny and solar electro-pop that brought the four members of Superjava together. When Archibald and Alexandre met in the hallway of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2015 after spending their childhood respectively in Jakarta on Java Island and Lima, the first funky and swinging riffs of the band were played. Yet, it is in Paris in 2016, with Arnaud’s retro keyboard melodies and Antonin’s hectic rhythm, that Superjava really started to take off. With the release of their first single All in All on the web, the band became the talk of the town and as a result started touring summer music festivals after only a few months of existence. Check out their performance at The Canton Place.

Happy Hour at the Roof Top Bar

Daily ongoing, 5.30-8.30pm; RMB198. Roof Top Bar, LN Hotel Five, LN Hotel Five, 277 Yanjiang Zhong Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 越秀区沿江中路277号岭南五号酒店 (020-8931 0505)

Superjava

Sun, June 16, 7pm; free. The Canton Place, Haifeng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州市天河区珠江新城海风路广粤天地

June 27-29

Fruit Expo 2019

June 21-23

Music Day 2019 From June 21 and 23, the Shunfeng Mountain Park in Shunde will again play host to the Music Day, a three-day celebration of French and Chinese music. Several groups and musicians will rock the stage during this year’s festival. French quintet Le Concert impromptu will start their performance at 8pm on Jun 21; French hip hop and electronic musician Orē, French trap and old school band Dlyn/Ynsm and Chinese hip hop artist Vyan is going take the stage from 7.30pm on the evening of June 22, while three rock bands – French punk rock band Mnnqns, Chinese pop punk group Miss Future and jazz rock band Power Milk – is scheduled to set audiences in motion from 7.30pm.

Fri-Sun, June 21-23. Various times, free entry. Shunfengshan Park, Nanguo Dong Lu, Shunde District, Foshan 佛山市顺德区南国东路顺峰山公园

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The international Fruit Expo will be held in Guangzhou, one of East Asia's biggest fruit trade hubs. The event serves as a B2B platform, enabling professionals to benefit from numerous networking possibilities and industry resources. The rising demand for varied fresh fruits in China has increased the market share of imported fruits and fruit processing equipment. Fruit Expo Guangzhou reflects the trends which shape China’s fruit market and provides unmatched opportunities.

Thu-Sat, June 27-29, 9am. Canton Fair Complex, Yuejiang Zhong Lu, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 海珠区阅江中 路广交会展馆 (fruit-expo.com)

July 6-7

Don Giovanni By Mozart As one of Mozart's most celebrated operas, Don Giovanni reaches a rare perfection in this combination of tragedy and lightness. A story of many twists and disguises, the performance has an incredible energy as well as a strong dose of darkness and ardent cynicism.

In this myth of Don Giovanni, Mozart gives the eternal seducer a new power: the power of music. It premiered at the Bordeaux Opera in 2002. This production, directed

by Laurent Laffargue, sets Don Giovanni in Italy in the 1920s.

Sat-Sun, July 6-7, 7.30pm; Price TBD. Guangzhou Opera House, 1 Zhujiang Xi Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州市天河区珠江新城珠江西路1号广 州大剧院 (gzdjy.org)

EVENTS

SZ EVENTS

May 17

May 25

The German Chamber of Commerce in China|South and Southwest, together with the German Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong, would like to invite you to the German Gala Dinner on May 17 at The Langham Shenzhen. Are you ready for the city’s biggest German-Chinese party of the year?

To all filmmakers! A film night is being organized to bring more film people together, foreigners and Chinese alike. Prizes from Rode Microphone are on offer, drinks will be provided and the event is being supported by the Shenzhen Government. Submit your short narrative films, 3-5 minutes long to be screened at the Nanshan Cultural Center. International judges with a rich film background will pick the best film and the winner will get a mysterious prize.

German Gala Dinner

May 17, 6pm onwards, 6pm, RMB800-1,000, The Langham Shenzhen, 7888 Shennan Dadao, by Nongyuan Lu, Shenzhen

NEW HOPE Film Night

Note that the duration of the short films has to be around 3-5 minutes, the submitted works must be original short narrative films in any genre and English subtitles are required for non-English short films. Please send your video to overlaymovies@163.com in MP4 format with a resolution of 720P or above. Deadline is May 20.

May 25, 7-10pm. Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center, 1st Imperial Park I, Wanghai Lu, Nanshan District, Shenzhen. For details, email uanton92@yahoo.com

May 23

ECHO's Rising Stars-Tamsin Waley-Cohen Violin Recital Described by the Guardian as a performer of "fearless intensity", former ECHO Rising Star Tamsin Waley-Cohen has established herself as one of the most insightful and versatile young British violinists. This season sees her debut in China with James Baillieu. She will be performing violin sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy, and Elgar alongside Heifetz's arrangements of pieces from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

May 23, 8pm. Premium Seats: RMB480 / Exclusive Seats: RMB380 / Intimate Seat Subscription: RMB2,600. Sea World Culture and Arts Center, 1187 Wanghai Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen.

To book, call (0755) 2165 4920. Online booking link: www.designsociety.cn/en/category/activity-list/ detail!TamsinWaley-Cohen

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May 30

Fazil Say Piano Recital Fazıl Say, renowned Turkish pianist and composer, has been touted as a pianist of genius. Say has played a few times in China. With his astonishing pianistic talents, Fazıl Say has been touching audiences and critics around the world. Ad part of the Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival, Say will present a repertoire of Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy and Satie, as well as three of his own compositions.

May 30, 8pm. RMB80-880/VIP. Shenzhen Concert Hall, Symphony Hall, 2016 Fuzhong Yi Lu, Futian District, Shenzhen

Submit your event listings to uf.prd@urbanatomy.com

June 1

The Future of Commerce: Exploring the Covergence of AI, Blockchain and Fintech This event will see nine great panelists discussing some of the major technologies that are catalyzing the pace of innovation and introducing radical shifts in every industry. Three areas of technology in particular: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Fintech stand to have far reaching implications in both our everyday lives and the business world. The convergence of these trends in tech will undoubtedly change how people do business all over the globe. CanCham PRD and CoinPayments are proud to present the Future of Commerce: Exploring the Convergence of Industry Disrupting Technologies. This will be a high-level discussion and everyone is invited to join us in Shenzhen, the innovation and entrepreneurial heartland of China. Along with a roster of industry luminaries from all over the world, we will discuss the convergence of AI, Fintech and Blockchain and try to understand how these exciting and disruptive industries are shaping the future.

July 3

Isaac Gracie China Tour 2019 in Shenzhen Tickets to see the one and only Isaac Gracie when he arrives in Shenzhen this July are now on sale over on thMart! The 24-year-old singer, who’s been compared to the likes of Nick Drake and Bob Dylan, will bring his folk-rock stylings to A8 Live House on July 3.

July 3, 8pm, RMB280 presale / RMB380 at the door / RMB580 VIP. A8 Live, 2/F, A8 Music Mansion, 1002 Keyuan Lu, Nanshan District, Shenzhen

June 1, 9am-noon, RMB125-150. 4F, Mission Conference Room, Hilton Futian, 1003 Shennan Lu, Futian District, Shenzhen. For more information, check www.canchamprd.com

July 20

Antje Weithaas Violin Recital

June 19

Lite China Tour 2019 New Noise is thrilled to announce five shows for instrumental four-piece Lite from Japan presenting their brand-new album, Multiple. The band is known for their thrilling and emotional compositions, progressive, edgy riffs and complex rhythms. Their explosive live show and tireless touring in the US, Europe and Asia along with worldwide album releases have brought acclaim from all quarters. Lite have played at Fuji Rock Festival and Summer Sonic and headlined ArcTanGent Festival in UK and are widely regarded as one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Japan in the last decade.

Antje Weithaas has a wide-ranging repertoire that includes the great concertos by Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann, modern classics by Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Ligeti, Gubaidulina, Hartmann, Schoeck, as well as Jörg Widmann. In the upcoming concert in Mountain View Theater, Weithaas is playing Ysaye’s sonatas together with the solo sonatas and partitas of Johann Sebastian Bach, and placing them in direct contrast with one another.

July 20, 8pm. Premium Seat: RMB480 / Exclusive Seat: RMB380 / Intimate Seat: RMB2,600. Sea World Culture and Arts Center, 1187 Wanghai Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District, Shenzhen. Booking Phone Number: (0755) 2165 4920. Online booking link: www.designsociety.cn/en/category/event-list/detail!AntjeWeithaas

June 19, Time TBA, B10 Live, North side of Building C2, North Area, OCT-Loft, Xiangshan Dong Jie, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (0755-8633 7602)

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GZ & SZ LISTINGS Make the best of family life in the PRD. Scan here for family events.

路191号中石化大厦B塔9楼 gz.raffles.edu.cn

EDUCATION -GZ Kindergartens Trinity International Kindergarten Address: 663 Huacheng Dadao, Zhujiang Xincheng, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州圣心国际幼稚园 天河区珠江新城花城大 道663号 (Tel: 8291 4296) Cherry Kindergarten Headquarters Address: Room 1501, Yin Lai Ge , Li Jing Hua Ting , No. 22 , Jinsui Lu, Tianhe District （廖先生 186 8844 8562）; Branch Address: Room 1001, Building C, Period 2, Tian Yu Garden, No. 138, Lin He Zhong Lu, Tianhe District 樱桃幼儿园, 总校地址：天河区金穗路22号丽 晶华庭银莱阁1501; 分校地址：天河区林和中 路138号天誉花园2期C栋1001

International Schools American International School of Guangzhou 1) 3 Yanyu Nan Lu, Ersha Island (8735 3393); 2) 19 Kexiang Lu, Science Park, Luogang District (3213 5555). 广州美国人国际学校，1) 二沙岛烟雨 南路3号; 2) 萝岗区科学城科翔路19号 Canadian International School of Guangzhou Cambridgeshire Garden, Nancun Town, Panyu District (3925 5321) www.cigz.com 广州加拿大人国际学 校，番禺区南村镇雅居乐剑桥郡花园内 Clifford School International Building, Clifford School,Clifford Estates, Shiguang Lu, Panyu District 祈福英语实验 学校番禺区市广路 (8471 8273) Guangzhou Huamei International School 23 Huamei Lu, Tianhe District (Tel: 8706 5178, Fax: 8721 0372). 广州华美英语实 验学校，天河区华美路23号 www.hm163. com Guangzhou Nanfang International School No.1 South Industrial Park, Yinglong Lu, Longdong, Tianhe District, (3886 6952, 3886 3606, Fax: 3886 3680). www.gnischina.com 广州南方国际 学校，天河区龙洞迎龙路龙山工业园南1号 www.gnischina.com ISA International School Guangzhou Block C2-2 Redtory, Siheng Lu, No.128, Yuan Village, Tianhe District, 510655 广 州市天河区员村四横路128号红专厂 C22(8890 0909) 广州爱莎国际学校 Canton Global Academy 4 Chuangjia Road, Jinshazhou, Baiyun District, Guagnzhou (180 2401 1757) 广州寰宇外籍人员 子女学校, 广州市白云区金沙洲创佳路4号 Raffles Design Institute 9F, B Tower of Guangzhou Sinopec Building, No.191, Tiyu Xi Lu, Tianhe District 天河区体育西

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The British School of Guangzhou 9833 Tonghe Lu, Nanhu, Guangzhou (Tel: 8709 4788, Fax: 3725 9377). 广州英国学 校，南湖同和路983-3 www.bsg.org.cn Utahloy International School Guangzhou 800 Shatai Bei Lu, Baiyun District 同和金 宝岗沙太北路800号 (Tel. 8720 2019, 8720 0517; Fax. 8704 4296) www.utahloy.com Utahloy International School Zengcheng Sanjiang Town, Zengcheng 裕达隆国 际学校 广州裕达隆国际学校, 增城三江 镇 (Tel. 8291 4691, Fax 8291 3303) www.utahloy.com Yew Wah International Education School of Guangzhou Dragon Lake Resort, National AAAA Tourist Attraction, Huadong Town, Huadu District, Guangzhou (8683 2662 / 400 850 9778) 广州耀华国际教育 学校 广州市花都区花东镇山前旅游大道学而 街9号 （比邻国家4A级旅游风景区九龙湖） www.ywies-gz.com

Language Centers Eclipse English Education Room D,18/F, Tianhe Bei Lu, Tianhe District (3878 0382, 189 2276 9713) 爱誉教育, 天河北 路368号18楼D Hanbridge Mandarin School Individual Class,Group Class: 50RMB/Hour~ Daily Chinese/Business Chinese/ HSK Kids Chinese/Cantonese/Company Training 1303, Left tower, Stars building, No.174 Huasui Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng,Tianhe District. Branch schools: Linhexi CITIC & LieDe Pub Street & ShiPaiQiao TaikooHui Tel &Wechat 020-85645966 189 9838 3060，181 0272 9662 翰语桥中国语 总校：天河珠江新城华穗路星 辰大厦东塔1303

EDUCATION-SZ Early Childhood Education up, 307 a/b/c, 3d Floor, Donghai City Plaza, North of Hongli, West RD, Futian(8339 0166;8339 0266) www.upchildren.com 福田区香蜜湖红荔西路东海城市广场三楼 307A/B/C

Kindergartens St. Lorraine Chinese-English Kindergarten, 1) Tong Jing Garden, Luosha Dong Lu, Liantang, Luohu District (2582 4450). 2) Gemdale Haijing Garden, Xinzhou Nan Lu, Futian District (2381 0600). www.st-lorraine.edu.hk/zhenchun

1) 罗湖区莲塘罗沙东路桐景花园2) 福田区新 洲南路金地海景花园

International Schools Merchiston International School No. 12 Shilongzai Road, Daliang Sub-District, Longhua District, (400 867 0177) admissions@merchiston.cn, www.merchiston.cn 龙华区大浪街道新石社区石龙仔路12号 Green Oasis School, Next to Green Oasis Garden, Tianmian Lu, No. 4030 Shennan Zhong Lu, Futian District (8399 6712). admission@greenoasis.org.cn www.greenoasis.org.cn 福田区深南中路4030号田面路 口城市绿洲花园 International School of Nanshan Shenzhen, No.11 Longyuan Road,Nanshan 南山区桃源街龙苑路11号 Peninsula Montessori Kindergarten, the Peninsula One, Jinshiji Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2685 1266) 半岛城邦国际幼儿园 南 山区蛇口东角头金世纪路1号半岛城邦一期 Quality Schools International Shekou, 1/F, Bitao Building, No. 8 Taizi Lu, Shekou District (2667 6031). http:// shk.qsi.org 蛇口太子路8号碧涛中心1楼 Quality Schools International Nanshan ,A1, TCL Science Park, No. 1001 Zhong -shan Yuan Lu, Nanshan District (8371 7108)中山园路1001号TCL 科学园区A1栋 Shen Wai International School No. 29, Baishi 3rd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen (8654 1225), www.swis.cn 深圳外国语学 校国际部,深圳市南山区白石三道29号 Shenzhen American International School Shekou Youth Center Building B.C, No.82, Gongyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen (Tel:8619 4750) 中国深圳市南山区公园路82 号蛇口青少年活动中心BC座 518067 Shekou International School, Jingshan Villas, Gongye Er Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2669 3669). www.sis.org.cn 南 山区蛇口工业二路鲸山别墅内 Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada, No.166 Nan’guang Lu, Nanshan District (2656 8886). www.ccsc. com.cn南山区南光路166号

Extracurricular Shenzhen Soccer Schools, Spor ts Training Services for Kids in Futian and Shekou with Qualified English Speaking Coaches. No.602 Haibin Garden, Xinhua Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2669 0765,13823112524). cathy@shenzhensoccerschools.com; www.shenzhensoccerschools.com.蛇口兴华路海滨花园海虹阁602 Soccer Rangers™ International Youth Football Grassroots football training for kids 4 to 15 yrs. The perfect base for children to experience the joys and benefits of

playing football. We follow the England FA coaching methodology, emphasizing small sided games and player centered learning.

Weekday and weekend sessions delivered

by FA qualified coaches. Shenzhen city, Nanshan district, No.10020 Beihuan Dadao 南山区北环大道西侧北段10020号

Language Centers Classic Mandarin, 1) Room 11F Seaview Plaza, No.18 Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2688 6112). 2) Rm 601, Unit 1, Building 4, Guanhaitai Garden, Wenxin Wu Lu, Nanshan District(8605 2515). 3) Room22B, Building C2, Galaxy International Park and Apartment, Fuhua San Lu, Futian District (8344 6661). 4) Room 903, Block C, Mingzhu Square, Changqing Lu, Chang'an Town, Dongguan (07698158 5950). www.classic-mandarin.com 1）南山区蛇口太子路18号海景广场11F室2 ） 南山区海岸城文心五路观海台花园4栋1单 元601室 3）福田区福华三路星河国际C2栋 8B室 4）东莞长安镇长青路明珠广场C栋903 Hanbridge Mandarin, 1) Room 103, Block D, Meijia Plaza, Qiaocheng Xi Jie, Nanshan District. 2) 16B, Seaview Plaza, Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (400 600 2202). www.hanbridgemandarin.com 1) 南山区侨 城西街美加广场D栋103 室 2）南山区蛇口太子 路海景广场16B I Mandarin, 1) 1F, West Wing, Xincheng Building, 1027 Shennan Dadao, Futian District (2598 7982). 2) Rm 8, 2/F, Youran Ju, Liuzhou Zhiye Center, Nanhai Dadao, Shekou, Nanshan District (2682 8811). 3) Rm1706, Main building of Golden Central Tower, No.3037,Jintian Lu, Futian District(15811815474). 爱玛德， 1)福田区 深南中路1027号新城大厦西座1F 2) 南山区蛇 口南海大道和工业八路交汇处六洲置业中心 悠然居2楼 3)福田区金田路3037号金中环商务 大厦主楼1706 New Concept Mandarin, 3/F, Bitao Center, 8 Taizi Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2688 3577) www.newconceptmandarin.com 南 山区蛇口太子路8号碧涛中心3楼 Union Mandarin, 2A Bibo Building, Haibin Garden, Xinghua Lu, Shekou, Nanshan District (2688 4090). 南山区蛇口兴华路海 滨花园碧波阁2A Sinomatin Immersion Chinese, Suite 301, Block A, Seaview Garden, Seaworld, Shekou, Nanshan District. 希诺麦田沉浸式汉 语，深圳市蛇口海上世界海滨花园A栋301室 TLI 1209A, Building C, Ming Wah International Convention Center, Seaworld, Shekou, Nanshan District.南山区蛇口海上 世界明华国际会议中心C座1209A Tel: 075521618221 www.tli.com.tw

COMING SOON! HOME & SCHOOL GUIDE

The Greater Bay Area

随刊附赠

SPRING 2019

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Polyhele International Arts Center "Poly Tianyue" Pazhoucun Parking Lot North, Guangzhou 广州海珠区琶洲村新马路保利天悦北门， 保利和乐国际艺术中心·广州天悦校区